Snd COPY, 
1898, 




LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 

('hap./l£S3Coi)vright No. 

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



OCT 17 1698 




THE AUTHOR AND WIFE. 



•■.A % • -4. 



Scenes of earlier Days 



in 



Crossing the Plains to Oregon, 



am 



experiences Of (UesternCife 

C by C. f). Crawford. ^ ) 

^'— - — m$. 



J. T. STUDDERT, 

BOOK AND JOB PRINTER, 

PETALUMA, CAL. 



{( OCT 17 1898 

^'rv wuntcjHtCUvtD* 



') 



® 



39557 

PREFACE. 



HOSE who did not cross the plains, either to Ore- 
gon or California, in an early day have but little 
knowledge of the hardships endured by the wa}', or 
after their arrival at their future homes. I have 
frequently conversed with those who went to Oregon 
from 1843 to 1845 and '46 and after their arrival had to 
live on acorns for six weeks without meat. There were 
no cattle at the time in the country fit for beef, and 
game was very scarce, and even if it had been plenty 
hunting it on an acorn breakfast would have been very 
hard work 

Even after our arrival in Orf'gon at a later date, 1851, 
provisions were ver}' scarce. The winter of 1852-53 for 
more than a month there was no flour to be had and no 
meat and we paid $8.50 for fifty pounds of very poor 
shorts and glad to get it at that j)rice. In the spring a 
cargo of Chile flour came in and when we bought it we 
had to sieve out the long woolly worms and eat it or 
starve. In talking with friends about the scenes of 
earlier days and experiences of western life I have been 
frequently asked why do you not write them out and 
have them published in book form. My reply has been 
it always looked egotistical for a man to publish his own 
autobiography The reply was this is not your autobio- 
graphy, but actual history that helps to tell about the 
settlement of the great west, a subject in which old and 
young are, or should be, deeply interested. Setting all 
objections aside I submit in the following pages an ac- 
count of our trip across the plains together with a few 



u v^ri>^ 



/^ cO^ 



of our varied experiences of western life in the hope 
that it will do at least a small amount of good in better- 
ing- the great state in which we live. 

The scenes related in this book are true for I was an 
eye witness to most of them. Many of them were of a 
nature to stir up the soul with intense excitement. 
I shall be glad to know that the young people who read 
these truthful narratives have been benefitted by them. 
Those who love truth more than fiction will not object 
to these sketcne.s. 

C. H. CH.\WFORI), 
Pei'aluma, Cal., l^OS. 



CONTENTS. 



Company organized and Captain elected - 8 

Preparing to fiyht - - - . 5 

Tattle won • - - - _ (j 

Cooking done with buffalo chips . - 9 

A stormy night - - - . 10 

Indians ready for war - - - 13 

First jack rabbit - - - 14 

First buffalo - - - 15 

Chimney Rock . - _ 17 

Huins of ancient building - - 18 

Viewing Devil's Canyon - - 19 

A large hill of lead - - - 22 

Horses badly frightened - - 23 

How Bear river bottom looked - - 25 

Soap creek and a large sti'eam of water - 2<) 

Soda Springs - - - - 27 

Three horses stolen - - - 30 

Nez Perce chief and his family - - 31 

Use of the rocky part of the world - - 32 

A cowardly guard, and a horse stolen - 34 

A man shot and dangerously wounded - 38 

An Indian killed - - - - 46 

A train all killed but two boys - . - 48 

A horse stolen but quickly recovered - - 50 

Violating a contract and the result - - 51 

Going over the Cascade mountains - - 57 

Devil's backbone and Laurel hill - - 59 

Glad to be in the Willamette valley - (JS 

The hungry fed . _ _ . (54 

The man with two wives - - - 66 

Entering politics - - - - 69 

Leaving politics and going preaching - 70 

An orphan boy badly used - - 72 

Leaving Oregon - - - 73 

Building a church in Stockton - - 76 

Going into a saloon and inviting them to church - 78 



A camp meeting" near Stockton - - - 81 

Result of sinf>ing songs in a barroom - - 8:5 

Appointed college agent - - . - |)() 

Infidel lawyer converted - - - - 94 

Starting for Powder river mines - - 95 

A Parson caught in his own tiaj) - - - 9(5 

The frightened Irishman _ . . (»j) 

Men alarmed and preparing to fight - - 101 

A man greatly alarmed ... lo-j 

Three men poisoned . . - . . 105 

Parson asked to drink - - - - - 110 

A man instantly killed - - - - - 11-1 

Attending politicial meetings - - - - Ho 

Answering a fool according to his folly - - 119 

Two men murdered - . _ _ . \'22 

Mob violence - - - - - - - 125 

History of Mr. Miller - - - - 12G 

Leaving- the mines - - - - - ll{7 

Water spout - - - - 189 

A beautiful scene near Petaluma - - 141 

Two men recoTu-iled - - - 145 

A remarkable conversion . - - 147 

The story of a pioneer - - - 14it 

Conditions of help - - - 151 

Swearing by his father - - - 158 

The agent thrashed . . . 155 

Invited to have a dram - - - 1 5s 
Camping in the wild woods of Mendocino county KJl 

Commencing to work at Tomales - - Ki'l 

Answering a question - - - 1B5 

Commencing' to work at Point Arena - KKJ 

A man shot at Point Arena - - - 170 

Answering Rev. Mr. Tubs - - - - 177 

Making- an infidel mad - - 181 

A missionary trip to the Sierra Nevadas - 182 

How one parson helped another - - - 1S8 

Conclusion . . . . iy() 



Scenes of Early Days 



THE START MADE. 



CHAPTER 1. 

Our minds are so formed that we love to linger around 
the scenes of the past and think of what transpired in 
years gone by. How often have we been charmed with 
the company of the aged ones as they related to us the 
things that transpired when they were young. The 
struggle th«y had, the difficulties they overcame and their 
final triumph at the last when they proved conc^uerors. 
Many a youth in our land has felt a noble thrill in his 
soul when grandma or grandpa has talked about frontier 
hfe in the wilderness, and told their experiences with 
bears, wolves and wild Indians. Not only do old 



2 SCENKS OF EARLIER DAYS. 

])eoi:)le have their attractions, but also old buildings, 
that have long been erected and have stood the storms 
of many y^iii'S- 

I have visited Fort Ross in the western portion of So- 
noma county, California, and on the border of the 
Pacific ocean, and looked with deep interest on the walls 
now tumbling- into ruins and thought of the struggles 
through wliicih the Russians must have passed when 
they were built, surrounded as they were wnth wild 
beasts and wilder savages. Their struggles were but 
little if any greater than those who settled our western 
frontier, going forth with their loaded muskets in one 
hand and the torch of liberty in the other. Those who 
are now being whirled across the continent with the on- 
ward rush of the railroad coach, often wonder how the 
emigrants of earlier days ever made their way to the 
Pacific coast, in the midst of savages, mosquitoes, black 
onats and alkali dust I never felt any alarm about our 
western travel until I made the trip some years after the 
railroad Avas completed, and saw the old emigrant road 
as it came in sight occasionally. Then it was the past 
loomed up and I thought it was a very risky business to 
take a family (for their were four of us) and start out 
on a western trip of more than two thousand miles, and 
depend on four horses and a wagon to bring us to our 
"desired heaven," with nothing lor feed for our animals 
save the grass we migt find by the way. Then add to 
this that we had to travel outside of civilization on a 
road not improved, and cross swollen streams as best we 
could, and not see a house from the Missouri river to 
Oregon, save at the forts, and you will not wonder that 



SCENES OF EAKLIEU DAYS. 3 

it ma<le nie almost shudder as my thoughts surveyed the 
past. 

It was April 10, 1H51, wheu a small company left the 
western portion of Illinois, to make the trij) across the 
western wilds to Ore_;on. As the company formed and 
moved away from their old homes, an old f>entleman 
who was traveling" with us remarked: ''Westward the 
star of empire wends its way." We crossed the Mississ- 
ippi at the town (now the city of Burlington) and made 
our way across Iowa, the western portion then being- 
very thinly settled. We halted for several days at a 
place now known as Council Bluffs, then Council Bluff's 
was two or three miles farther up the Missouri river. 
The reason we tarried here was to let the" grass grow, so 
that it would have more strength for our horses. The 
emigrants Kept on coming until thousands were en- 
camped on the borders of the river. As w^e were travel- 
ing with horses, without any cattle, we were desirous of 
forming a good company in numbers so as to pass in 
safety through the Pawnee country, as they were said to 
be somewhat troublesome. By hunting among the vir- 
ious camps of emigrants we soon found enough with 
horses to make a company of one hundred and tw^enty 
men, well armed, besides women and children. A day 
was set when we were to meet and organize and deter- 
mine when we were to cross the muddy Missouri. The 
day arrived, and an organizatioji was affected by the 
election of a Mr. Hadley as our captain, as he had 
crossed the plains in 1849 in search of California gold. 



SChNES OP EARLIER DATS, 



CHAPTER II. 



The (I IV selected for the forward journey was a 
dehghtful one and the Gth day of May found uh, with- 
out a siiio;le aceident, on the west side of the g"reat rivei' 
where the beautiful city of Omaha now stands Then 
tiiere were no signs of civih'zation. Tiot even a log- cabin 
had been reared. ( )ut west of this a few miles there 
were the remnants of a few cabins to he seen, where some. 
Mormons on th< ii way to Salt Lake had wintered a few 
years before. We found our first campings place on the 
P'lk Horn and after we had found our camp a few 
Indians came to us. They were hard-featured human 
beings and looked wicked enough for any mischief. 
They Avere clad in buffalo robes and by moving them up 
and down they made a horrid rattling noise, which 
greatlv frightened our teams and they started to run, 
for prior to this they had been unhitched and were eating- 
grass. Those who saw this movement on the part of 
the I ndians and the stampede of the horses, succeeded 
in turning all back except three of mine and they ran 
at full speed out on to the plains, home of those who 
were fortunate enough to keep their horses from run- 
ning, mounted them and after a chase of several miles 
all were brought back safely. The Indians were notified 
that if they scared the horses again they would be pun- 
ished severely for it. They remained very ([uiet during 
the night, camping not far from us. 

The next morning we journeyed on until we found a 
stream called Loup Fork which was so greatly swollen 
that the ferryman told us we would have to wait several 
days before crossing. We paid him $5 so as to secure 



SCENES OF EAKLIER DAYS. O 

our regular time of crossing. We moved up the river 
M here there was better grass, and the ferryman prom- 
ised he would let us know when it was safe to cross. 
One day while waitinj^- for the waters to fall we saw 
another train drive up and eonimence crossing. We 
harnessed oiir teams as quickly as possible, and moved 
down to the ferry and demanded our time as promised. 
The ferryman said, "gviitlemen, you must settle your 
own troubles, as the last train to arrive has paid me ten 
dollars to cross it first." A man at least six feet tall 
stepped forth from the last train and said "he would 
fight any man in our train, and let that decide the 
niiitter." An Englishman in our conipany of small 
statue, but who proved to be a scientific boxer, >aid 'sir, 
1 am your man." The captain said, "form a ring, i:entle- 
men and let them fight." The ring was soon formed, 
while the women and children remained in the wagons 
as witnesses of the scene, but by no ineans as disinter- 
ested spectators, for all were anxious to push toward as 
soon as possible. 



CHAPTEll III. 

The two combatants having placed themselves in the 
proper position, the captain of each company called to 
his man "are you ready?" They both declared they 
were, the word was given and the tall man made for the 
Englishman, swinging both of his arms wildly in the 
air. In the meantime the Englishman scarcely moved 
from his position, but as his man came up he watched 



6 SCENES OF EARLIKK DAYS. 



his opportunity and placed a blow on his chest which 
knocked him down, without himself receiving a scratcii. 
The Englishman stood back and waited for his man to 
get up. After awhile he rolled his eyes up as if plead- 
ing for help, at the same time saying he was not whi])ped 
yet. "Get up then," said the GiiglisUman, '"I will give 
you all you want." With the assistance of some of his 
comrades he got up and steadied himself for a shoit 
time, and then declared he could and would whip his 
antagonist.. He made at him as before, swinging his 
arms in all directions. The Englishman stood still in 
order to receive his blows, and when he came near 
enough he landed aleft-hand blow just below^ the ear, 
and he fell as suddenly as if stabbed to the heart. He 
never struck the Englishman a single lick, and he was 
struck only twice, but they were blows that counted. 
W hen he fell the second time quite a numl')er thought he 
Avas killed, but after awhile he showed some signs of 
life, and his comrades helped him up and carried him to 
his wagon. We learned afterward that he kept his bed 
for three weeks before he was able to move about at his 
own will. The only injury the Englishman sustained 
was a badly sprained thumb on the left hand, caused by 
the last blow he struck. 

After the fight was over, the tall man's captain said: 
"Gentlemen you have won it fairly, it is your right to 
cross the Loup Fork first." We soon shoved a wagon 
on the boat, and after a few hours we all landed safely 
on the w^est side. I suppose this fight was on the same 
principle, only in a small degree, that causes nations to 
go to war with each other. Trouble arises and one is 



SCENES OF EAKLIEK DAYS. 7 

offended and seeks revenge. The spirit of retaliation 
is very strongly marked in some individuals as well as 
m some nations. All hands, men, women and children 
were very much interested in this tight, for all were 
anxious to he moving westward. 'i his was a war 
on a small scale, while it lasted. Jt was a very 
decisive battle, and one that accomplished its work and 
left the ferry free to us. Su('h scenes these days 1 think 
are frowned on by the better class of society, but then 
it was thought to be about light, as t hurch n:embers, 
class leaders and a parson helped to form the ring, and 
as good as said: "Go in boys and do youi best, to the 
victor belongs the spoils." 

Opinions on many subjects are undergoing a« great 
changes these days, as the country has through which 
we were then jjassing. Now fine cities, towns and 
farms dot the road vve weie then traveling, and the fiery 
steed goes puffing along his iron track, and the people 
are rejoicing in plenty, with no fear of being molested 
by the Indian tribes who once inhabited it, and roamed 
over its hills and valleys, at their own will and pleasure. 
I am glad that the great principles of peace are taking a 
firmer hold on the human heart as well as on nations 
who before have been blood thirsty. When Nellie Bly 
Avas in Mexico, a Spanish gentleman said to her: "Your 
humane societies would prevent bull fights in the 
States. Your people would cry out against them. Yet 
they have strong men trying to pound one another 
to death, and the people clamor for admission to see the 
law kill men and w^omen, while in health and in youth, 
because of some deed done in the fiesh. Yes, thev wit- 



^ SCENES OF EARLIER DAYS. 



ness and allow such inliuiiian treatment to a fellow- 
mortal, and turn amund and affect holy horror at nis for 
taking out of the world .i few old horses and furaislnnj;- 
beef to the poor " A point, I think, very well taken by 
the Spanish gentleman. 

Forty-seven years ag-o and railroads were not very 
plentiful, much less one to traverse the western wilds, 
and cross hills and tall ranges of mountains, and find 
its way puffing and snorting to the great PaciHe. I re- 
member very well when plows had wooden mold boards, 
and harvesting was done with reap hooks, and then with 
cradles. With the vast and far reaching improvements 
now in use, we must naturally expect ideas to change, 
and men become more manly by leaving off their child- 
ish notions. But I am wandaring from my theme and 
must return. 

We traveled up the north side of Piatt river, and for 
quite a distance oui- route seemed quite level. There 
was a new difficulty which was soon encountered by us, 
for we now had a stretch of three hundred miles without 
and wood with which to make fires and do our cooking-. 



CHAPTER IV. 



The (piestion of how the cooking was to be done was 
to all of us a very important one, but it was very soon 
settled by our captain telling us that we had to use 
buffalo chips, and that we must camp where they were 
the most plentiful. It was amusing to see the different 



SCENES OF EARLIER DAYS. 9 

expressions of counteniuice when this aiinouncenient 
was made I adies who liad been reared in luxurv and 
were generally noted for their good natnre and mild 
manners, fairly stamped the earth and almost gritted 
their teeth together, declaring they never could and 
never would cook with it, that they would rather retrace 
their steps and live on the east side of the Missouri 
river, or then eat their vituala raw and use cold water 
for coffee. But traveling soon produces strong- appe- 
tites, and hunger with its gnawings isnot easily satisfied 
with raw food, and it was only a short time until, when 
the train halted for either noon or night, men, women 
and children made haste to the field of chips and 
gathered them for fuel, and even the ladies who had said 
so much, were as eager to procure the driest as any of 
the rest. The women soon learned to cook with them, 
and all hands became used to such fuel; really the vit- 
uals seemed to taste just as good as if cooked with wood. 
It is an excellent thing we are so formed that we can 
?>dapt ourselves to the surrounding circumstances. If 
this was not tiue there would be but few who would 
ever see the western wilds, or the immense west as we 
used to call it. From start to finish, western travel a 
half century ago was a kind of rough and tumble life, 
with difficulties in abundance, but we soon learned to 
sleep in tents, wagons or on the ground, and to eat our 
gruel cooked with buffalo manure. And here I will say 
lest I forget it further on, that ladies, and even those 
who never knew what hardships were at home, can en- 
dure more of them in proportion to, their strength than 
men. When men become discouraged and are ready to 



KJ SCKNES OF EAKIJEK DAYS. 

faint by tlic wmv, their con rage comes to the rescue and 
nrgen the men forward. 

Thtie i» some very beautiful country bordering 
on tlie Pliitt ! river, with a large extent of good 
'evel laiul, and as we traveled up this beautiful valley, 
in the distance we could see vast heids of bufi'alo feed- 
ing, which at times would become alaimed at our 
covered wagons and scampei- oft' out of our sight to the 
lolling hills. There are some countries beautiful to look 
upon when the sun shines biightly% and no angry 
clouds are to be seen. So it proved with the Platte, for 
I remember one day, the forenoon had been all that 
heart could wish, wjien suddenly a cloud angiy in its 
contour came up and the hail commenced to fall. 1 had 
to get out of the wagon with its (covered shelter and hold 
:uy leaders by the bits to keep them from running away. 
Mail stones fell larger than quails eg<^^, by the thousand 
and pelted my hands, until black and blue for days. 
How that portion of our country now is, since it has 
been crossed and recrossed with railroads and towais and 
cities have been built, 1 do not know; l)ut then it was 
i)y fiir the worst country 1 ever have been in for storms. 
1 have passed through some very hard storms in Illinois, 
l)ut none that would do to compare with those along the 
F»latte. 

One I remember very vividly. TIk- day had been 
very warm and at times quite sultry. We camped for 
rhe ni<rht on a small stream running into the main river, 
and after our suppers were ate and the' guards jjlaced 
• m duty for the night, the distant thunders be^jan with 
(heir rumbling noise, w'hen nearer they came with their 



Sri^NKS OF KAKLIKU DAYS. 11 

forked liL;litiiiii,i;s jjluviiiy liitlicr and tliithci', until at 
last a ii)iglit_v crash broke loose tliat seemed to sh;dve 
the very earth and arose the entire camp. AlthouL;h 
no moon shone, yet such was the power of the electric 
current that human faces could be seen in plain outline, 
and at times a pin might have been seen on the giound. 
I suppose one reason it seemed so bad to us was that 
we were in a dreary wilderness surrounded by savages. 
with no opportunity to secure help even if we wanted it 
very badly. Then add to this, the fact that we had to 
jiicket all our horses and stake all our wagons with 
ropes, so as to keep them from being blown away, and 
our horses from running l)efore the storm. Such were 
the wild scenes of that night that the entire company 
was rilled with solemn awe and made to wonder whether 
we were to encounter many scenes like this on our 
westward journey. Our captain to encourage us said he 
never had encountered such a night as this in all his 
travels. 

The next day after this storm was the sabbath, and as 
we journeyed on I saw a man some distance from the 
road sitting in the door of his tent who looked quite 
familiar. This man was also a parson, crossing with an 
ox train. Before leaving his eastern home he had urged 
this trip, saying that he thought it would add at least 
fifteen years to a man's life to cross the plains to Ore- 
gon. As soon as I recognized him fully I called out to 
him: "Uncle Neil Johnson is not this a rather hard way 
to add fifteen years to a man's life." His long sad Sun 
day face instantly relaxed into smiles as he saw who I 
was, and came forward with extended hand and as 1 



SCENES OF EAKLIEK DAYS. 13 



grasped it he said: "I rather think it is for I never bar- 
gained for so much." When I came to talk with 
him I found that during the wild night of which I have 
spoken, his cattle stampeded and he was left with only 
one yoke of cattle to pull his three wagons and family 
to Oregon. I learned afterwards that his sons, who 
were out searching for the cattle when I was at his tent, 
found them all, and from that on he was as fortunate as 
most of the emigrants. Afer we all arrived safely in 
Ore. on, he used to tell of our meeting that day on the 
Platte, and how I made sport about adding fifteen years 
to a man's life not knowing at the time he had lost his 
cattle in the storm. 

One day, as we were traveling leisurely along, all at 
once several hundred Pawnee Indians came dashing up 
to our train on their bobtail ponies with their faces 
all painted in war style. 



CHAPTER V. 

They came with a war whoop, no doubt with the hopes 
of frightening us. But as we numbered one hundred 
and twenty men and showed them our military arms they 
said they only wanted pay for passing through their 
country. We even refused this for our captain had 
told us not to pay them anything, nor give them any- 
thing to eat. When they saw they could gain nothing 
from us they left peaceably and went after some ox 
trains, where they were more successful in their efforts 
as they obtained a three year old heifer from one com- 
pany. 



14 SCENES OF EAUEIKR DAVS, 

It was while tniveling in the Fhitte country that I sa\v 
my first hare, or what we as CaHfornians now call 'jack 
rabbits." In coaipany with a friend who was Ivnown as 
Joe Lucas in onr train, I went out one day some distance 
from the road to hunt for game. Jnst as we -beyan to 
enter the foot hills up jumped an animal with very long 
ears for its height or the length of its body, as it started 
from us it seemed to be lame. After a few jumps it 
stood on its hind legs and looked at us as much as to 
say, "I dare you to lire a shot at me." I raised my gun 
to fire, but, as hunters say, it snapped, for by some 
means the powder was damp. When 1 found my gun 
was a failure 1 called out, "Joe, shoot it, or it will get 
away from us yet." "No," said he, "1 will <ratch it 
for it is very lame and cannot run far." He seated him- 
self, pulled oft" his boots and socks and away he went 
on the chase. The animal made a few leaps and was 
out of sight, lame as he seemed to be. 

It would be hard to picture a more forlorn looking 
man than Joe was when he seated himself to pull the 
stickers out of his feet and put on his boots. Said he 
"I never was so deceived in an animal in all my life." 
What can it be, anyway. 

He was as much disappointed as the Irishman who 
came to America and had never seen much of the world. 
I do not vouch for the truthfulness of this story, but 
give it to you just as I heard it. '■ 

As I said the Irishman came to America and landed 
in San Francnsco but as he was raised on a farm he made 
his way into the country to look for work. One day he 
nitit a man driving a pair of mules and his wa;^on was 



SCENES OF EARLIER DAYS. 15 

louded with large squashes. He ventured up to the 
driver and said (putting his hand on the squashes) 
"What are these things?" "These," said the driver, 
are mule eggs and if you want to raise an animal like 
these I am driving all you have to do is to take one of 
these eggs and set on it for three weeks and it Avill 
hatch out a mule. 

Pat took one and sat on it until he became tired and 
then went away for a rest. While he was gone a jack 
rabbitt hid himself behind it and when Pat returned the 
animal jumped up and ran off. Gazing after it and 
seeing its long eai"S he instantly called out, "Hey, you 
baste, come back here. I am your father." 

We were not quite as green as Pat, but one thing- 
sure we did not know^ the name of the animal, and the 
fact was it looked like a mule with its long ears. 

The first buffalo we saw on our travels was on the 
Platte, and a number of our men concluded one day, as 
a beautiful herd came in sight, that they would give 
chase and secure some fresh meat if possible. Some 
went with horses and some on foot. They wandered so 
far from the train that day that only those on horses 
could return. The footmen remained out without food 
or blankets. Neither were successful in their hunt and 
we had to abide our tinje for fresh meat. 

The second day in the afternoon the footmen caught 
up with us, tired and foot sore. One of the footmeai 
whose name was Bill Havens, at least called such among 
the boys, had a most marvelous tale to relate of his ad- 
ventures and narrow escapes. He said, "I got near 
enough to shoot a buffalo and it made him mad and he 



1() SCEJJES' OF EARLIER DAYS. 



took after me. When the others^ saw him running they 
ran too and I was chased by a large herd. They were 
iill throwing their tails 'wiggletree^ waggletree, wiggle- 
tree, waggletree.' " 

It seemed so unreasonable that one could see the tails 
of an entire herd of buifalo when he was running for 
dear life with all his speed from them, that all who 
heard him laughed heartily. A.n old gentleman in the 
train, who had been a member of the Illinois legislature 
for eight terms in succession, called out '"attention, men,, 
this man's name shall l)e Buffalo Bill from this on, for 
he is the only man living thai could run from a herd of 
buffalo and at the sai)ie ti.ne see their tails going wiggle- 
tree, waggletree." 

He carried that name into Oregon and 1 heard of him 
afterward in California and he still kept the name. It 
was Slid that he carried the name back to Michigan, the 
state from whence he came, but whether he did or not 
he was a useful man in the company and ever ready to 
lend a helping hand. He was not the Buffalo Bill of the 
Wild West shows. 

In our journeying one day we saw a very tall object 
rearing its head above valleys and hills and we knew 
from what we had read and what our captain told us 
that it must be Chimney rock. We found when we at- 
tempted to measure distances in that country with the 
eye we were very liable to be greatly deceived. Some 
thought it might be ten miles distant, some fifteen, 
while a few others said it might be twenty. Some of our 
party resolved to see it and they started very early in 
the morning traveling all day and camping out. 



SCENES OF EARLIER DAYS. 



CHAPTER VI, 



It was not until the second day that the}' reached it, 
and to their surprise and chagrin found that it had been 
a Aery large rock and that the teeth of time had been 
gnawing on it until in the distance it looked like a 
chimney There was an immense pile of rock at the 
foot that had been broken off and fallen down, wliile a 
mere stem was left standing. 

The men were out three days and two nights to see a 
huge mass of stone, and to travel what some thought 
was ten, fifteen or twenty miles. This cured them of 
going off great distances in order to see the curiosities 
by the way. 

Traveling up the Platte proved to be the real pleasure 
portion of our long journey, for as we advanced the 
storms were less frequent until they finally disap})eared. 

After many days traveling we found ourselves oppos- 
site Fort Laramie for it was located on the south side of 
the river. Here we saw the first house on our jouiney 
after leaving the Morman Cabins this side of where 
Omaha now is. We tarried here for the noon hour and 
while we were eating our lunch quite a number of Sioux 
indians came to us and seated themselves on the ground 
and commenced to pick the lice from each others heads 
and crack them between their teeth as though they were 
precious morsels. This was more filth than I expected 
to see among human beings and I confess that it was 
with difficuly that 1 finished my meal. I have seen 
thousands of Indians since that day and many of them 
much lower in the scale of intelligence than these Sioux 



18 SCENES OF EARIJER DAYS. 



but I never have witnessed such a scene as that since 
that day and fondly hope 1 never will. After leaving- 
Fort Laramie we entered what was known as the J lack 
hills They seemed more dark and rugged on the south 
side of the river than on the north. I'he valley on either 
side was very narrow and sometimes it looked like we 
were completely hemmed, but by making a sharp curve 
we would round a hill and start up another narrow 
valley. Thus we kept on our way until we were through 
these hills. 

One day my friend Joe and I went out on a hunt and 
several miles north of the wagon load we found some- 
thing that resembled the ruins of an ancient castle and 
quite near it a beautiful spring of clear, cold water 
bubbling np from the middle of a large flat rock which 
looked like it had been scoo])ed out on purpose for it. 
Good water or in fact water at all we found very scarce 
in that country save in the Platte. 

We traveled all day and late in the evening we killed 
an antelope, but as we Avere several miles from camp 
and no moonlight w-e did not take time to dress it for 
fear we might be dressed by some wandering Indians or 
a i^ack of hungry wolves. We simply hitched ourselves 
to it and dragged it to camp. The meat was excellent 
and others besides ourselves shared in its goodness and 
partook of its benefits. It is only those who travel and 
camp out in the open aii that know what an appetite it 
gives and how it improves the health. 

The fall before we left Illinois I bought a hog, whicu 
dressed 150 pounds, for my small family and we ate of 
it all >vinter. When we started west it looked like it 



SCE^IES OF EARLIER DAYS. lit 



hinl hardly been touched. I told niy father that J 
"thought we had meat enough to last us to ' 'regon and 
he came to the same coiiclusit)ij . There was not a sinole 

o 

pound of that })ig" left when we reached Clouncil Bluffs. 
There we bought more and that was all gone t)efore we 
reached our destination. If any one wants to iuiprove 
their health and strength let them travel witli wagons 
and horses and camp out in the open air. 

There was one thing that was cheering after we passed 
into the Black Hills and that was we could leave off 
cooking with buffalo chips and have plenty of wood. 
We also found that we were getting into a higher lati- 
tude and at times we wanted a better tire than could be 
made from chips. After passing through these hills we 
found a large extent of level country again. And as we 
pres.sed on, day after day, we eventually came to a 
stream called Sweetwater and there was a terril)le 
canyon on it known as Devil's Canyon. it was about 
one and one-half miles in length with solid walls of rock 
on either side reaching u^) hnndieds of feet. Some of 
our comically who had been to see Chimney Rock con- 
cluded, that as this curiosity was near at hand, they 
would survey its mysteries and see if they were not 
more beautiful than the Chimney. 

Not long after they entered it their feet began to slip 
on the rocks, worn smooth by the waters. As the 
waters were rolling and tumbling in terrific majesty and 
the spray flying in all directions and wetting them, and 
the roar of the canyon was like mighty thunders, and 
as they were slijiijing and falling they wished they had 
never entered the doleful gorge. However, after a time 




It stood and looked at us. — page 14. 



SCENKS OF EARLIKR DAYS. 21 



tliey got out alive but bruised and battered, and con- 
eluded they did not want anything more to do with 
places named for the devil, that he himself was a veiy 
tough customer and if they were much with him they 
might become like him. 

In that same region we found a vast field of ice that 
the summer suns never melt. By digging down from a 
foot to two feet through the soil it is found in abund- 
ance but is said to be poisonous for drinking purposes. 
The covering to this ice is clothed with a thick carpet of 
buffalo grass, and when one looks at it they wonder how 
it is possible for vegetation to grow so near where ice 
remains all the time, but it does. How far down this 
ice extends I have no means of knowing as we found no 
bottom to it. 

There is still another curiosity in this region of 
country. It is that of an immense rock rearing its 
head up in a seemingly level plain called Indepedence. 
The name is said to have been given to it by some emi- 
grants who camped near it on the Fourth of July years 
before this and celebrated the birthday of our country. 
The rock is more than a mile in circumference and at 
least a fourth of a mile in heigth. Unlike Chimney 
Rock time had not worn its sides away. It was not so 
smooth, however, but that its ascent could be easily 
made. And as one climbed its sides he could read hun- 
dreds of names, and well up into the thousands, for 
wherever there was room there was a name. Here I 
saw the names of many whom I had known in my 
younger days and wondered if they yet lived. This 



'I'l SCElfES OP EAKLIEK DAYS. 

monumental Kt(Mie made us for the ti'ue forget the- 
weariness of our journey. 

A friend of mine who crossed the phiins in ISoi, and' 
whom I always regarded as a trathfiil nia;i, told me tliat 
not far from Independence Kock he went on a hunt one 
da} and in his rambles he found quite a large hdl that 
attracted his notice on account of its {peculiar ap})ear- 
ance. He approached it and spent some time in its ex- 
amination and finally with his hati^het that he carried in. 
his belt \ie chipped off a piace of it and found it to be 
almost pure lead, and that when lie arrived at camp and 
melted it he saw that it made good bullets, except that 
it was a little too hard. He brought a piece of it into 
Oregon and experts pronounced it lead with a small 
mixture of silver. He never retunied to work it and 
move its richness. 



CHAPTJ-:ii VIL 

The first night after we left liid.ependenee Rock we 
found the grass very scarce near the road and my friend 
Joe proposed to me that if 1 would go \fith him he 
would take the horses to better feed. We left the tiain, 
cajuped near a small strean) and with our rifles and 
blankets we took the horses alx>ut three miles, where 
finding an excellent lot of grass we proceeded to picket 
them securely not knowing what might happen during 
the night. 

We were in a valley shaped like a horse shoe with low 
hills on three sides of it. It was a beautiful spot and 



SCENES OF EARLIEK DAYS. '2'-) 

oovered witli Inxuiiant grass. When night eauie we 
rolled ourselves m our blankets and lay down to sleej), 
with the heavens above for our tent. We were up so 
high on the Itoeky .Mountains that we did not anticipate 
much danger from the red men and then we had not 
kindled a tire that woiild be a signal that some emigrants 
were campled there. We were just getting into a quiet 
slumber and, of course, not suspecting any danger near, 
when all of a sudden a mule (which by the way is the 
best guard one can have on huch a journey) raised a 
terrible snort and instantly ever}' animal was pawing 
and snorting too, and trying to break loose from their 
fastenings. We thought what has happened now to 
frighten our animals like this and as soon as possible we 
were up with our guns in hand and among the animals 
to see if we could find the cause of their fright. As we 
came to them we spoke in gentle tones trying to quiet 
them. We searched in vain for the cause of their fright 
but could find none, and finally retired again for the 
night. 

The next morning after daylight we started for our 
camp with the horses and found that about 15U yards 
from us a very large grizzly bear had passed during the 
night. We were glad the wind blew from him to us 
and not from us to him for had it been otherwise he 
would have scented us and have had a royal feast either 
of human or horse fiesh. The bear must have thought 
the snort of the horses was thunder at his heels and that 
he had better be getting away from it as fast as he could, 
for just opposite where we were at night his bearship 
showed that he shutfied off with accelerated speed. 



"24 SCENES OF EARLIER DAYS. 



As one climbs up the liocky Mountains he scarcely 
realizes that he is goiny up hill the ascent is so oradual. 
When we at last reached the summit I wondered why 
they were called Kock}' Mountains lor there were no 
rocks in sight, but one vast unbroken plain with here 
ai.d there a very small amount of timber. When we 
came to what was known as the Pacific springs and saw 
the water tlowmg westward we knew we had came to 
the place "where gravitation shifting turns the other 
way." And this we all said is the sumaiit towards 
which we have all been climbing for weeks and if our 
decent proves as fortunate as our ascent we will yet 
land on the Pacific slope all safe and sound for we have 
had no sickness as yet in all our travels. 

From the summit the waters flowed both east and 
west; pointing toward the rising sun from whence we 
came and to the setting sun towards wdiich we were 
journeying. I took mj^ rifle and went out for a little 
hunt, as much as anything else, I suppose, that I might 
have it to say in after years that I hunted one day on the 
summit of the Rocky Mountains or the back bone of our 
continent. The wind was blowing quite hard and it was 
ver}^ cold so that I did not remain long. In my rambles 
I did not find either deer, antelope, or rabbit, but I did 
find a home-made butcher knife with its buck-horn 
handle, a relic that I prized very highly as it came from 
the summit. But someone else in the train prized it 
highly too and appropriated it without leave to his own 
use, or then 1 left it by mistake near some of our lonely 
camp fires. 

It was about noon when w^e passed over the summit 



SCENES OF EARLIER DAYS. 



25 



and when we went into camp that night it wus cold and 
frosty although about the 'iOlh of -June. Beyond this 
we came to the forks of the road, one called Sublet's 
cut-off and the other the old emigrant r. ad past Fort 
Ih-idger. The cut-off was said to be a little shorter road 
than the other but a mu(;h rougher one. Here the train 
separated and we were one among the number who de- 
cided to go the Bridger road. The night we camped 
near the fort the ice formed at least an inch thick al- 
though it was the 1st of July. 

After leaving Bridger we passed over a very high 
ridge and then gradually decended into the Tear river 
country. When we came near enough to the bottom 
land to see it fully a sight greeted iis that was cheering 
to both man and beast and seemed to put new life into 
both. As far as the ey- could reach, for the valley was 
both wide and long, it was covered with red top from 
two to four feet high and all our horses had to do as we 
moved along was to pluck it on either side of the road. 
Then the only sign of civilization was Fort Bridger a 
place settled many years before by a man by the name 
of Bridger from the state of Kentucky. Now there is 
said to be beautiful homes and towns all through that 
country, so that it would be difficult for one of the old 
emigrants to pass that way and recognize the road over 
which he then traveled or any of the hills he then 
passed. 

One day when traveling along the borders of this 
beautiful landscape and through the vast sea of red top 
we found a creek called Soap creek, which I think was 
rightly named, for it smelled just like the boiling soft 



2() SCENES OF EARLIER DA VS. 

soap that niv iiiother used to make me stir wlien I was a 
small boy, the scent of which I was not found of, and 
which still lingers with me when L think of those days. 



CHAPTER VI Li. 

We knew nothing abont the depth of this creek (if 
snch it could be called) for where it seemed like water 
ought to have been was onh' this soft soapy substance 
and very miry. When we probed it with sticks we found 
it was about eighteen inches in depth. This encouraged 
us and we drove in and across without any serious 
trouble, only that which we borrowed. We were afraid, 
as the horses' legs weie covered with the soap, that it 
might be strong enough to eat the hair off and leave 
them sore, for there was no water in sight with which 
to cleanse them and our wagons. Nature generall}- 
provides for emergencies, especially if it creates them, 
and it was not long until one of the most beautiful 
sights of our entire journey greeted us. 

We were passing near a great wall of black rock on 
our right hand that Avas several hundred feet in height, 
when to our astonishment a great river came gushing- 
out from beneath it more than a hundred feet wide and 
from six inches to three feet in depth Its waters were 
like ice water and of the very best quality', running on 
a l)ed of small gravel and went rushing on towards 
Bear river. Before we reached the opposite shore we 
had both our wagons and horses cleansed from the tilth 
of Soap creek 

I looked on that stream without a name with a great 



SCENES OF EAULllLU DAYS. 27 

deal of interest and wondered where such a large body 
of water came from and how its channel was formed. 
The Wind River mountains clad in snow were in full 
view and no doubt this stream had its origin there and 
that its channel was formed by some great uphe;ival of 
nature. It was there, and there to stay untd some of 
nature's convulsions should close it. Right glad we 
were that it did not occur while w^e were there for we 
might have been precipiated through the center of the 
earth with Jules Verne, a trip we had no longing for as 
we w^ere bound for Oregon so that we uii^ht "add fifteen 
years to our lives." 

Below this a few miles Bear river makes a very sudden 
bend like an elbow and goes rushing off towards the 
Great Salt Lake Near where this bend occurs there is 
a curiousity known as Soda Springs. There are a num- 
ber of them and some of them excellent soda water. 
There is one which deserves special mention called 
Steamboat Springs. There are times when it seems to 
l)e resting and then it is as quiet as a seeping babe, 
when all of a sudden it breaks forth puffing and blowing 
like a steamboat and sending its soda sprays far into the 
air. It was sound asleep when we were there and as 1 
gazed down into its mysterious depths I could but wish 
it would wake up and make us emigrants retreat in a 
hurry from its commotions. 

The country all around these springs bear unmistaka- 
ble signs of some mighty shakings and that volcanic fires 
were not very far away even then. A gentleman with 
whom I conversed afterwards told me that a number of 
them w-ent out on a hunt some ten or twelve miles nortii 



SCENES OF EARLIER DAYS. 29 

of these si)iiiigs and in their ramblings they came to a 
depressed valley of small size and in various jjlaces over 
it smoke was coming out of the ground, showing there 
was fire beneath. The country around the springs and 
between there and Fort Hall was much better and richer 
in appearance than thousands of acres over which we 
had passed beyond Fort Bridger, or even the high pla- 
teau on which the fort stands. 

It was near these springs that we met all of our old 
company who had gone the Sublet route, except the old 
gentleman and his family with whom we had started 
from Illinois. They got in a hurry and pressed on with- 
out any companions save their own and there were seven 
men and four women of them. 

When they had passed Fort Hall and came to a 
small body of timber some Indians made an attempt to 
run in ahead of them, and had it not been for the 
bravery of one women, who had learned to handle a 
lifle, the Indians would have succeeded. But she with 
her bravery kept them at a distance until open -round 
was found, when the Indians retreated to the great joy 
of the company. 

The night after we left the Springs we camped near 
the foot of a mountain and close to our road there was a 
large flat rock and near the middle of it a fine soda spring 
with excellent drinking water came bubbling up. This 
was the night of the Fourth of July, a day that should 
never be forgotten by any lover of his country, it matters 
not in what portion of the world he may be. Here we 
had a wilderness celebration of the day, as we had quite 
a large company of our own and besides our own, here I 



30 SCENES OF EARLIER DArS, 



found mj old Illiiims friend who was intending to "add 
tifteen years to his life" We asked hini for a short 
speech, which he gave in good style, and then we gave 
three cheers for onr country, fired our guns, placed our 
guards in position and retired for the night. The next 
niaht we camped near Fort Hall,, which at the time was- 
only occupied by some French traders. Uncle Sam's, 
boys were )iot there, not eren cme that we saw, and yet 
the fort was among the Sohones or Snake Indians, one 
of the worst tribes that ever lived on the American con- 
tinent for low cunning, m^aness and treachery, which 
many emigrants found to their ^orrow l)oth before and 
after this. 

Even that year the emigration expected to have pro- 
tection from the forts, but they were doomed to disap- 
pointment, and the savages did as they pleased, roamed 
where they liked and stole stock from the poor emigrants, 
yet all the time pretending great friendship. 

The m9u at the fort warned us to look out for theiv- 
ing Indians and said they would be likely to visit our 
camp at night whether we saw anything of them through 
the day or not. Sure enough the night we tarried in 
full view of the fort they came we supposed about mid- 
ni;jht when the guards were being changed and took 
three horses and made their escape with them while no 
one knew they were gone until the next morning. We 
never saw nor heard of then afterwards and knew the}^ 
had not strayed from us with their own accord. There 
was a Frenchman at the fort who had traveled the road 
to western Oregon frequently and he gave us a guide 
written in English pointing out the best camping and 



SV;KNE8 oy EAHMtK DAYS. }i\ 

wateriuj>" plat-es which we t'oniid al'terwavcls to be of ex- 
<«ellent service. The second day's travel from Fort H<dl 
we were overtaken by a >Jez Pierce chief and his family, 
and he asked for the privile<^e of canipinj^- near us as a 
protection from the Snake Indians. We very gladly 
consented, for we thought if it was necessary for one" 
Indian to be cautious of others that we had better be on 
the sharp lookout ourselves. '1 his chief had been edu- 
cated at the Spaulding mission and could talk the Eng- 
lish language ver}- well, at least well enough to be under 
stood. 

The first night he camped with us the Snakes stole 
five head of horses from him. In the morning he came 
and asked foi the privilege of his family camping near 
us while he went out in search of the stolen horses. 
This chief had been beyond the fort buying emigrant 
stock and recuiting them so that they could travel to his 
home at the Mission. He wns gone five days and we all 
expected that he was murdered but one evening about 
sun-down he came up with our canjp, bringing all the 
stolen animals. Duiing- his absence his companions did 
not show any uneasiness for fear he might never return. 
He was not hurt himself in the least, wdiile he declared 
that he killed all three of the Indians who had done the 
stealing. He traveled with us about two weeks and tlier: 
left for his home. Before he left he tried very hard to 
get me and my family to go home with him and teach 
his people how to read and write and farm and cook, 
promising us a good home with a good house and or- 
chard with all the land I wanted and plenty of horses 
and cattle. We declined his generous offer for we felt 



32 SCENES OF EAKLIER DAYS. 



we had been amon:^ Indian tribes as long; as we carecl 
about. 1 learned afterward from those who knew him 
that he woidd have been as punctual to his promises as 
any white man. 

Below Fort Mall were the .Vuierican Falls, one. road 
to Oregon crossed the river near them while the other 
continued on the south side. We traveled on the south 
side of Snake river and it was not long until we encount- 
ered a very hilly and rocky country, making it hard on 
our wagons and teams and veiy trying on our patience. 
It was very difficult to travel over them and still more 
difficult to find plenty of grass for our horses. 

When we came to Goose creek we found that the road 
to California went up that stream and here (piite a num- 
ber of our train left us for the Golden State whom we 
never naw again and among that number was my friend 
Joe. There were times when we hful to travel so near 
the water that it seemed like our wagons would upset 
and land us all in a watery grave. On the upper side 
was a rocky wall and we could not dodge sometimes six 
inches without great danger. Finally we arrived at a 
small level spot with some grass on it and halted for the 
noon hour. After the meal, while we were \\aiting for 
our horses to feed, one gentleman appioached aijother 
and said: 

"I do not see what this part of the world was made 
for. It certainly is of no use whatever." 

"You are a very foolish man." said the other, "there 
would be a tremendous hole in the world were it not for 
this country that you regard as worthless, and you might 
have to travel several hundred miles to get around it, 



SCENES OK EARLIER DAYS. 33 

but uoA yoii call <^'et over it l)y i^oiug'a lew miles, buinp- 
a-ta-buiup over the ro(-ks. I perfer it just as it is for 
luy part without any ruueiuluieiits." 

One (lay while traveliny on the south side of the river 
\ve encountered immense swarms of bhick nats and 
.mosquitoes and it was very difficult to tell which bit the 
worst. Sometimes we thought it \yas ojie and then we 
would conclude it must be the other. One thing sure 
they both bit until our faces were so swollen we could 
scarcely see. That night we camped on the river bottom 
and after we had begun to eat, a saudl cloud came float- 
ing by with a slight spriulde of raiu and a very sudden 
gust of wind. In a moment after this all passed by, 
our gnats and mosquitoes were gone to some other 
country, "seeking whom they might devour" there. 
But, horrible to relate, we looked at our victuals, for the 
wind came on so suddenly we had no time to cover them, 
and they were filled with gray sand until it was difficult 
to tell what they were. We did not dfire to throw them 
a%yay for there was no chance to purchase an}- more so 
we cleansed them as best we could and ate them while 
the sand gritted between our teeth. 

The country below this l)egan to show signs of iuj- 
provemeut, the hills were lower and not so rocky and 
the grass was more abundant. With the improved 
country there began to be more fresh Indian 
signs and by consulting our guide paper it told 
us to look out for the treacherous Snakes. One night 
M'e camped on Salmon creek wdiere there was excellent 
grass. When night began to approach we found, as the 
creek here formed a horse shoe in shape, that w^e could 



34 SCENES OF EARLIER DAYS. 



put oui- wagons across the open part of the shoe and our 
liorses between them and the creek and station a strong- 
guard at the ford, wliich was at the extreme bend of the 
:5hoe and the only place where an Indian could take a 
horse over the stream, that we would be contparatively 
safe. After this was all done and darkness came on we 
heard what wd at tirst thought were wolves, first on one 
bill top and then on another, but as we had not seen a 
wolf for several hundred miles we concluded it was 
the Indians giving the signal that it was a good night to 
do some stealing from the emigrants. W'e placed out a 
strong guard, changing it at midnight, pljceing one 
man at the ford of the creek. The next njorning the 
best animal in the train was missing and when we came 
to examine the ford the horse tracks were plainly seen. 
The men who kept guard at the ford were called and the 
one Avho stood guard the first part of the night said all 
was right when he retired, while the one who guarded 
the after part of the night said he got tired guarding the 
ford and concluded there was no danger and went and 
lay down by his own animal. He acknowledged that he 
saw a horse cross the stream l)ut no one was leading it 
and it would soon be found. The o^Dposite side was ex- 
amined and soon a moccasin track was seen and also the 
place where he had mounted the animal and left for 
parts unknown. A council was immediately called and 
some of the men were breathing out threatenings against 
the man who said he saw the horse cross the ford, for 
his own acknowledgement showed him a miserable cow- 
ard. Instead of guarding where he was placed he went 
awav some distance leaving the ford exposed, which was 



■SCENES ■OF EAKLIEK DAYS. 35 

the iuiportaiit place to be yuanled. Some wanted to ex- 
pell him froiij the comically, while others thoug-ht if he 
i\vas expelled the Indians would soon dis})at('h him. 

CHAPTIR X. 

'J'he question to be settle<l was, shall we let the Indian 
keep the horse or shall we try to find it and take it from 
him? The conclusion was to let the ti'ain remain in 
camp at least a few hours and some men go out in search 
of the stolen animal. The next question was, who will 
go? Volunteers were called for. The owner of the 
stolen animal said he would go for one. I said I would 
go, and then three more volunteerad, making a company 
of five. But among the volunteers the one who failed 
to guard the ford was not one of them for he prefered 
evidently to stay wdiere there was more company. Enough 
had to be left to guard the women and children and 
horses and see that no more mischief was done while we 
were gone. 

In the company which went out to search w^as one 
young man from the state of Maine with wdioni I had 
become quite intimate by acquaintance, as we had often 
stood guard together and conversed on varioiis subjects 
and occasionally on the subject of religion. I had often 
urged him to be prepared for the world to come as none 
of us knew at what moment an Indian might put a ball 
or an arrow through us. He swore he was not afraid of 
all the red skins from the Missouri river to the Willa- 
mette valley, and that if they killed him he would be safe 
anyway, for all men were suie at least to be saved. He 



3G SCENES OF EAKLIEK DAYS. 

seemed very strong in that belief and I asked him if he 
did not think he would weaken if he thought he was 
going to die. 

"Oh, no, sir, you will not tiud uie such a coward as 
that when the test comes. " 

That morning the searching party ate a very light 
breakfast and were soon off on the chase and as we did 
not expect to be gone long we did not take even a can- 
teen of water with us. After crossing the creek we only 
went a short distance until we found where the Indian 
with his stolen property commenced ascending a hill. 
We followed on and soon found that in order to ascend 
the steep hill the Indian had gone up that we must 
travel zig-zag as he had done. We did this and yet it 
seemed as though we would never get to the summit, 
but after awhile we found that we were at the top of the 
hill and here we halted for a breathing spell. The view 
from the sumniit was a grand one, gtander than I can 
describe. North of us as well as south of us were moun- 
tains piled on mountains, until they reached into the 
clouds, covered with timber. I'.ast of us we could trac- 
the serpentine course of Snake river as well as west of 
us. At the foot of the hill and near the canHuence of 
Salmon creek with Snake river our tents and wagons 
could be plainly seen glistering in the morning sun. 
We found we w'ere on a very high ridge and that the 
tracks of the stolen animal were still pressing south- 
ward. All the time we were looking in all directions 
for the Indian. 

The morning was all that heart could wish save it was 
a little warm. Everv thing about us, even the fresh 




Chased by buffalos. — page 15. 



;TS SCENES OF EARLIER DATSr, 

tracks of the horse tli;it was stolen, seemed ta indicate- 
that we were going to \:>e siu'cesst'nl in the chase, Chir 
hopes were tirm and buoyant and seemed to float high 
above all obstacles. Three of us then were young men 
not more than twenty-tliree or four years of age and the 
other two about thirty -five or forty. We followed on nj) 
this divide until we came to a place where tlie ndian' 
had halted and cooked his breakfast. After an exami- 
nation we found the tire was still burning slowly and 
this led us tff believe we were getting very near him. 
While we halted at this fire the dusky thief cami in 
siglit, not more than a half mile from us. This ani- 
mated greatly the three youngest of us and away we 
went as fast as O'ur horses could run. 'Tlie two older 
ones were more cautious and called out to us, "boys, 
look out and do not venture too far ahead." NW 
had a hard cliase for a mile or two and at last Indian 
and horse both disappeared, but the tracks were plainly 
to be seen. The young man from Maine was tlie leader. 
Finally we came to another canyon coming into that of 
Salmon creek at right angles and as we turned up the 
west canyon, still following the tracks, our leader said, 
"here are the tracks, boys." Just then there was the 
report of a ritie and he exclaimed, "1 am killed!" 



CHAPTER XI. 



I heard the report of a rifle and for a moment supposed 
that he had shot at an Indian, but when I looked for the 
smoke from the gun I saw it was near a large rock and 
some distance below us. He was still on his horse. 



SCENES OF EARLIER DAYS, 3T3 



liolding- his rifle, when he called out he was shot and 
killed. We asked him to go towards camp and 
we would try to secure the Indian. We dismounted 
and went near the edge of the canyon trjang to <>-et a 
shot at the Indian who had wounded our fellow traveler. 
There was no human being in sight anywlure, save an 
Indian on horseback galloping off towards the moun- 
tains to the south. We were satisfied he was not the 
one who had done the mischief, for there was not time 
enough since the report of the rifle. 

Our fiiend managed to get about 200 yards 
towards camp and got ofl' at the foot of a hill and after 
di-mouutiUL; he fell over and we supposed he was dead. 
Our search for the Indian having proved fruitless we 
directed our steps toward the wounded man. Just as 
we came up wliere he was the two men we had left be- 
hind came riding up. He was bleeding profusely and 
we hastened to remove his clothing and make an exami- 
nation. We soon found the ball had entered the body 
on the right side between the two first ribs and had 
passed entirely through, coming out between the same 
ribs on the opposite side. We turned him on his back 
and the blood would spurt out some distance from the 
body and then we would turn. him over when it would 
do the same. We at once decided that one man should 
go to camp, some twelve miles distant, and give the 
alarm and secure help. He made the trip in safety and 
when he arrived there was intense excitement and many 
wondered whether we would not all be killed. From 
the time the help left the camp until their return were 
hours of gloom and many wished we had let the Indian 



40 SCENES OF EARLIER DATS. 



keep the horse without any effort on our part and have 
traveled on our westward journey. We could better 
things immensely sometimes if we could see ahead as far 
as we can see back after the deed is done. 

After our messenger had left for camp the wounded 
man began to call for wattr, declaring he must have it 
or he would soon be dead. To add to his greater misery 
the sun poured down its heat with terrible force and we 
had no means of shelter. Not a bunch of willows or a 
patch of brush any where near us out of which we could 
construct a shade. The question was: ho a can we ob- 
tain water? When we left camp we only expected to be 
<>one a short time and did not take our canteens. We 
commenced then to examine our boots and out of all of 
them there was only one of mine found without holes. 1 
soon pulled it off and Mr. Strong,' the owner of the 
stolen animal, started to liud water. This only left two 
of us to care for the one in distress, and the one left 
with me said he could not stand the sight of blood and 
went oft" so far that he knew an Indian could not reach 
him either with a rifle ball or an arrow. I tried to get 
him to go to the top of the hill at the foot of which «e 
were located and stand guard, l)ut no, he was not willing 
to go there and watch. 

While he was absent and the other gone for water, 
Mr. H. said, -pray forme Parson, I am afraid 1 am 
o-oing to die and if 1 do 1 am a lost man." 

Said 1, "why pray for you if everybody is going to be 
saved." 

With a deep tone of anguish in his voice he called out. 
"Do pray for me. Universalisni will do to live with but 



SCENES OF EARLIEH DAYS. 41 

I fiiul it will not do to die with Oh, my dear friend, 
prjiy for nie before I am j^one for I cannot live much 
lonf^^er." 

I turned ni\ f.ice towards the toj) of the hill and with 
eyes wide open and watchin<^- for Indians (for I expected 
every niOiuent we would be shot) I prayed for him as 
best I could. 

After the prayer closed, he cried out, "Oh, Mother, 
Mother, I want to see you. " 

Said I, "your Mother is in the State of Maine." 

"Then," Suid he, "let me see my brother's wife before 
I die." 

"You shall, if you will only live a few^ hours and we 
can get you where she is." 

He said, with a deep pleading look in his eyes, "Par- 
son, you had better leave nie, for I am bound to die and 
you have a family to care for and I have none." 

"My friend," said I, "as long as their is breath in 
your body I will not leave you, for if we must perish we 
will perish side by side." 

The idea of intense thirst again seized him and he said, 
" Will that man never come with water? Oh, water, 
water, or I die." 

After awhile Mr. Strong- returned and told us that he 
went down into the canyon about 500 feet with great 
difficulty, when he came to a square offset of at least 500 
feet more and came near plunginfif headlong over the 
precipice and that if it had not been for a small bush he 
would have made the fatal plunge. But he made his 
way out and to us in safety. 

"What shall we do," said he, "if he does not have 



42 SCENES OF EARLIEK DAVS 



water soon he will be dead," 

In tlie forenoou, as we rounded tlie elbow of the can- 
yon, 1 had noticed an Indian trail leading down towaids 
camp and I thought he might possibly tind water by 
following it. He went and returned after a little while 
with hardly a half boot full of water, as it had leaked 
out. The wounded man drank heartily of it but it made 
him sick and he conjmenced to vomit, and the blood to 
spurt from both sides of his body. Fearing he would 
bleed to death we bandaged him with some pocket hand- 
kerchiefs, when, almost instantly he went into spasms 
and we had to remove them, i got one sup of water 
from the first that was brought in the boot that 1 had 
worn from the states and I really (as inconsistent as it 
may seem) thought it was the best water I had ever 
tasted. Water was brought the second time and it 
seemed to greatly relieve th« suft'erer. 

CH.APTEH XII. 

It was about noon when our messenger started for 
camp, and, as he had to travel twenty or twenty-five 
miles on a poor animal, we knew he would not return 
with the help until it would be very late in the after- 
noon, if not night. After consulting about the matter 
we concluded we had better start for camp and meet 
them on the way, as the Mow of blood had almost ceased 
and he seemed much easier. Late in the afternoon we 
lashed our guns to my Indian pony, which was to be 
led, together with the wounded man's horse, by one 
man, while the other man led the horse on which Mr. 11. 



SCENES OF EARLIEK DAYS. 48 



rode and I got on behind liiiu so as to bold bim in tbe 
saddle, as it was an American one without an}' born that 
he could bold to. 1 bad neither stirrups nor a blanket 
a d I dill not dare to let go my hold of bim for fear he 
would fall from the horse I rode that entire distance 
M'itbout dismounting or even relaxing my hold on bim 
for a single moment. We concluded as the safest plan 
to follow an Indian trail as it was likely to pass over the 
best and easiest route. In places tbe trail was very 
rocky and every time tbe animal would make a blunder, 
and that was quite frequently, he would call out or then 
groan, it seemed to me as loud as be could, and I would 
beg him to remain quiet if possible for fear the Indians 
might hear the noise and attack us and we could not 
defend ourselves as all oxir lire arms were fast. We bad 
not gone half the distance to camp when night overtook 
us with nothing but starlight and it very dark. We 
missed the help sent out for us and made our way as 
best we could over bills and around them and through 
dark canyons one after another. At last when we began 
to be very tired and wondering if we were not lost, Mr. 
Strong called out, "here is our camp just ahead of us. I 
seethe lights." We arrived about 11 o'clock, tired, anx- 
ious and hungry, not having a mouthful to eat since 
early in the morning. I never entered any place with a 
more thankful heart in my life than I did my tent in the 
wilderness that night. Thankful that none of our party 
had been killed and that although I was in a few feet of 
Mr. H. when the Indian shot him, yet the ball did not 
penetrate my body. 

When those who went out to meet us found we were 



44 SCENES OF EARLIER DAYS 



gone and they had not found us by the way, they con- 
cluded, as they still had some daylight to spare, that 
they would follow the tracks of the stolen animal and 
find the place where the Indian had done the shooting. 
They went up the west canyon some distance above 
where we had gone and found a trail with the tracks of 
a shod horse leading down into it, and soon found a 
large, natural barn, large enough to hold at least, so 
they thought, forty head of horses Here he had fast- 
ened the animal and went out some distance above until 
he came to another rock with a hole in it large enoagh 
for a rifle and to take sight and there he tired what he 
thought was a deadly shot. Why he did not remain be- 
hind his fort and continue to shoot the rest of us we 
never knew. It was about 2 o'clock in the morning 
when they returned. We were all glad to be together 
once more, even with the sore experience of the daj'. 

The day we were out on the hunt for the stolen horse 
an ox train came along late in the afternoon aud an old 
gentleman and his partner, the one who had failed to 
guard the ford, concluded they would go with them and 
wait next morning for our arrival. I'hat night the In- 
dians stole one of their horses and they had to remain 
where they m ere as the ox train had no special interest 
in them and they expected us along soon. They w^aited 
until near noon, when the one who had stood such poor 
guard came back to see what had become of us and to 
procure help to bring his partner and wagon to us. 
After he had been gone some timf and the old gentleman 
left alone to guard his property, mad at the Indians and 
chaffing under his loss, resolved that he would kill the 




Kiver issuing from a wall of solid rock. — page 26. 



4G SCENES OF EARLIKjR DAYS. 



first Indian he SiiM'. They were camped near Salmon 
Falls and he soon saw an Indian seat himself on a rock 
and commence to spear the Salmon which were then 
runniny up the river. 1 le placed hiinst;lf tehiud a rock, 
leveled his gun at the Indian's breast and fired, killing- 
him instantly as he tumbled into the river. Then it was 
that he began to think very seriously over what he had 
done, and as a "giiilt\ conscience needs no accuser," he 
became very uneasy and greatly alarmed for fear other 
Indians might have seen one of their fellows slain. He 
finally concluded the best plain was to get out of there 
as speedily as possible. He hitched up old gra^^ (his 
remaining horse) and then placed himself on the other 
side of the wagon tongue and he and gray pulled the 
wagon up quite a hill towards our camp, when his part- 
ner met him and brought him safely in. 

^Ve remained in camp three days so as to relieve the 
Avounded man as much as possible. He improved all 
the time but was very sore and hard on that account to 
hindle. The third day we fixed a swinging cot to the 
bows of a spring wagon and the fourth morning w'e 
placed him in it, hitched up our teams a id journeyed 
on, for we were afraid that something as bad as bullets 
might overtake us. There were no stations by the way 
that furnished provisons to hungry emigrants and we 
were all liable to starve to death if we delayed too long. 
The young man improved steadily but the swinging of 
the cot and the jolting of the wagon brought ]nany a 
hearty grunt or groan from him. When we reached the 
Cascade Mountains he seemed as well as ever and I never 
heard him swear but once, and then lie turned to me 



SCENES OF EARLIUR DAYS, 47 



with an apology, 

I remember once being sent for to visit a man who 
was thought to be dying and he saiil: 

"Oh, Parson, if I ever get over this I will be a better 
man." 

"]f yon get over it," 1 said "you will forget this 
promise and be as bad or worse than before." 

He got over it and went to keeping saloon and I con- 
<'luded he was not bettering much. 

Having spoken of what become of the wounded man 
and how he prospered, I will now return to the thread 
of my story. After we left our camp at Salmon Creek 
the scenes and intense excitement of the past week began 
gradually to subside. ]•'. very thing moved along- smoothly 
without any more interruptions from the Indians, but 
we were by no means asleep and heedless of our danger 
and that we were still in an enemy's country. But be- 
fore I speak further of our onward march I want to re- 
late a scene which transpired on the north side of Snake 
river, about fifty miles above F'ort Boise, the place w here 
Boise City, the capitol of Idaho, is now located. Here 
occured one of the most brutal mascacres that ever took 
place on the American continent. I do not mean in the 
ureat number killed but the manner in which the fiends 
accomplished their purpose. It was so inhuman that no 
writer or historian ever dared to tell how it was done 
and had it not been for those who came on after them it 
never would have been told. 

An emigrant train was moving along quitely, not sus- 
pecting that any danger was near, when all of a sudden 
tb.e savage yell was heard, striking terror to evex-y heart, 



48 SCEHES OF L'ARLIEE DAYS, 



and \\ell it might, for out of the entire company only 
two boys were left as stirTivors of the scene of that day. 
Heaven looked down in pity on this company as the dy- 
ing groans of the sufferers ascended. To fully accom- 
lish their brutal work they burned the wagons, and then 
used the iron rotlstoburn their victims into insensibility. 
The two lads who were saved, one, I Slunk, was about 
twelve years old and the other fourteen. When the 
work of death begun the youngest boy stole away and 
hid in some tall grass some distance from the scene. 
The other lad was piercetl through the 1x)dy with an 
arrow, and, it is supposed, the Indians left him for 
dead. 

After the Indians had accomplished their deadly work 
and had taken the stock and left the scene, the smaller 
])oy hejird the sound of a passing horse and very cautious- 
ly raising himself he peeped out from his hiding place, 
when to his joy he saw that it wi-s a white man. He 
immediately ran to him and was lifted up behind him 
and carried to a place of safety. When this lone rider 
saw what had been done he passed the scene in a hurry 
and did not see the boy with the arrow in his body. 
After awhile the one pierced with an arrow came to him- 
self, although somewhat dazed, and found that he could 
travel and made his way to Fort Boise fifty miles dis- 
tant, where an Enghsh surgeon, who had examined 
him, found that the arrow was showing itself on both 
sides of his body, lie extracted it and took care of him 
until he was able to travel and tln^i sent him on to Ore- 
gon. 

Joe Lane, who, I believe was then the Territorial Gov- 



SCENES OF EARLIER DAYS. 49 

ernor of Oregon, made the Lid a present o. a thousand 
dollars, so as to assist him in getting- an education. 
When 1 saw him a year or two after this he seemed well 
and strong-. I understood that he and his brother 
vowed vengeance on the iSnuke Indians and determined 
to kill every one they could. But whether they ever 
w-ent into that country again 1 never learned. 

NoAv I must ask the privilege of returning the second 
time to my story and will try to stick to it a little closer 
than I have done during the first of this chajiter. We 
had two brothers with us who failed to agree very well 
with our captain and they concluded to travel and camp 
alone, but it was very plainly to be seen they had no in- 
tention of getting far from us for fear they might get 
into trouble with the Indians. They traveled and 
camped near us for some tiuje but no difKculty occured 
to mar either their or our peace. 

When we arrived on the summit overlooking the Mai 
heur river we say in the valley a large circular fire and 
the Indians killing and eating grasshoppers and crickets 
for supper, but as we did not relish that kind of "grub" 
we did not ajDply for any; in fact it was onl}' a few 
moments after they saw us until the fires were all out 
and not an Indian to be seen. Naturall}^ when Indians 
were so wild they would not visit our camp, we thought 
they meant mischief. We camped below the ford of the 
river and the two brothers camped still lower down. 
Just at dark we heard the sound of wolves again; just 
such a sound as we heard the night before Mr. H. was 
shot on Salmon creek, and we knew that we must be 
cautious again. We stationed guards in our part of the 



50 SCEJJTES OF EAKLlEm DATS, 



company and one of the brothers stood guard for iheu/: 
Along towards midnight the sharp report of a rifle was 
heard and the whole camp was aroused from their slum- 
bers. An Indian had sneaked to our portion of the 
camp and had stolen our best horse, and by some means. 
had passed our guard and was trying to pass the guard 
of the other camiD, The lower guard called to the horse, 
as he saw- him moving off", "whoa, there! whoa there!"' 
Instead of stopping, the animal went faster and this 
caused the Indian to straighten himself on the horse. 
As he did so the guard fired and the Indian concluded 
it was rather close rang^e and jumped from the horse and 
went down an embankment at least twenty feet. The 
next morning we saw where he had made his leap, but 
there was no sign of blood, but his tracks showed plain 
enough that he left there in a great hui-ry. 

On the bank of this stream, and not far from the 
crossing, were two springs not more than three feet 
apart. One was nice, cold water to drink and the other 
would scorch a bucksin cracker in a second. 

The bottom land on this river seemed to be very good, 
but whei-e timber could be got for fencing and firewood 
is more than I could tell, for there was none nearer than 
the mountains and they were a great many miles away. 

Not many days after leaving the Malheur river, five 
young men of our company concluded we were not 
traveling fast enough to suit them, as they seemed in a 
great hurry to reach western Oregon. They went to 
Snake river and bought a canoe of the Indians, for we 
were then in the borders of another tribe who were 
f riendlv, and three of them with the larger share of their 



SCENES OF KAKLlKli 1)\\"S. 51 



bagg'iige got in the vessel ami started tl(».\n toward the 
Ooluiiibia river, while the other two took the horses ami 
followed thf emigrant ro^id. One of those who went 
an tlie c iiioe had been very sick on the journey and I had 
t.ikeii him in and hauled him more than 20U miles, while 
1 went afoot, and the bargain was that 1 should have his 
horse Uf work with mine over the ranges of mountains 
we had yet to pass, so that my family would not have to 
walk. VV^ien he was about to start for the river" that 
morning I kindly, but very tirndy, reminded him of his 
bargain and told him I thought he was doing me and my 
family a great injustice, when we had helped him dur- 
ing his sickness. He acknowledj^ed his contract with 
me in the presence of Mr. Strong of Michigan, but said 
"I am determined to go and take my horse with me." 
Mr. S. said, "Parson if he can jjrosper in doing wrong 
let him go and 1 will see you safe into the Willamette 
valley ." This is the same man who failed to stand guard 
at the ford of Salmon creek and was virtually the cause 
of Mr. H. being shot. When the two men who had gone 
on with the horses arrived at the ford of the Deschutes 
river they heard that the bodies of three white men had 
been found at the mouth and when they investigated 
they found them to be the bodies of their three compan- 
ions who had attempted the navigation of strange streams 
to them. Before we reached Burnt river I found so far 
as I was concerned there was another very serious trouble 
ahead. We were without meat and had ver^' little flour 
left. None in our train had any provisions to sj^are but 
expected they would have to buy for themselves. My 
friend, who had promised to see me safe through, said, 



52 SCENES OF EARLIER DAYS. 

"Parson, I will divide with you as lon^- as I can if you 
cannot buy any." I told him if he would lend me some 
money, for I had spent all mine crossing some ferries, 
that I would go ahead and see if provisions could not be 
bought of other emigrant trains. It so happened that 
on that same day I heard of a Baptist minister who had 
some meat to sell. 

In traveling on we found him camped not far from 
the road down towards the river. When I approached 
hiuj I told what I wanted and his reply was, "you can 
have what you wish." I asked the price and he said he 
thought it ought to be worth ten cents a pound, as that 
was what he paid for it in Indiana, and after hauling it 
that far he ought to have as much as that. He could 
not and would not be hard on poor emigrants like him- 
self. 1 bought what I thought would last beyond the 
Cascade Mountains into civilization and several others 
did the same. 

After we all arrived in Oregon 1 formed his acquaint- 
ance again and found him a consistent christian gentle- 
man. His name was Chandler and he was the only 
man 1 ever talked with who did not travel more than 
one sabbath on the plains, and on that one he broke his 
wagon pole. One reason ^vhy meat was so scarce was 
that we had not seen a deer or an antelope for hundreds 
of miles and we concluded if there was any they must 
be about the mountains. 

We crossed Burnt river and ascended the divide be- 
tween it and Powder river, passing not far from where 
Baker city now stands, not thinking once that there 
were immense fortunes in gold in the earth over which 



-\ 




He exclaimed, " I am killed ! " — page 38. 



54 scENEii OF eai;lif:k days. 



we were then traveling. From Powder river we p>sse(l 
over another divide between it and Grande Rounde 
valley and when we advanced far enough to behold the 
valle}' I thought it was the most Ixjautiful spot I had 
ever seen any\v'h3re. It-* ivarr^'a width i-; said to be 
twenty miles and its length forty. We crosseil near the 
upper portion of the valley and near where the town of 
Union now stands. As far as we could .see down the 
valley it was one ininiense^ Reld of r€?d top, as also to the 
mountains above us, 

Indians sometimes manifest a greitdeal of shrewdness 
in money-making schemes as well as white folks. While 
camped in Grande Rounde valley a ('ayuse Indian came 
to us and said he had viewed out and worke<l a road 
leading up the Blue Mountains (which lay on the west 
side of the valley) and that it was much better than the 
old road and that for lifty cents a wagon he would pilot 
us through. Some went with him, but from what those 
said who went the old road, there was but little, if any. 
improvement. It was not very far across and I think 
as good a mountain road as I ever traveled. After pass- 
ing over the mountain we found a high rolling ])rarie 
country with but little timber but good grass in abun- 
dance. 

We finally came to the Umatilla river near where the 
town of Pendleton now is and camped for the night. 
Before we had unharnessed our teams a Cayuse Indian 
came riding up on a very tine American animal and in- 
vited me to get on behind him and he would show me a 
better camping place. [ told him to come up to the 
wagon wheel so I could get on. When he came he pre- 



SCENES OF KARLIEH DAYS. 55 



sented the wrong side of the horse to me. I told hiiu 
to turn round and when I mounted the horse he laughed 
heartily and said, "this man squaw, this man squaw." 
It is a fact that an Indian gets on his horse on the oppo- 
site side from the American and that the American gets 
up on the same side a squaw does, and this was the 
reason why he called me "squiiw." We rode up the 
river quite a little distance and he showed me a most 
beautiful place to camp where there was an abundance 
of grass. When we returned they had unharnessed and 
we tarried for the nijiht. 



CHAPTER XIII. 

The day we left the Umatilla river there was an ox 
train behind us, perhaps three-quarters of a mile, and 
they stampeded in spite of their drivers. We heard 
them coming just in time to give the road for they would 
have ran over everything in their way. Their wagons 
only missed ours a few inches and they passed without 
doing us any harm. No cause was ever known for this 
runaway for they had not been frightened in the least. 
When their drivers wanted them to travel up lively after 
this they had to use their whips very often. The oxen 
were very poor and one would think they could not be 
whipped into a run, but they did run about four miles 
and then halted of their own accord as though nothino- 
had happened. In all the stampedes with oxen 1 ever 
knew of they always kept the road and nothing, it would 
seem, could induce them to leave it. This day we ate 
our last mouthful of bread, but I found two batchelors 



o() SCENES OF fiAHLrER DAYS 

who had plenty of crackers and lx)aight what 1 thought 
would dens until we reached our destination. 

We crossed the John Day river without any troublev 
but wheii we came to the Deschutes they wanted an ex- 
travagant price for taking u* over on the ferry. A Cayuse 
Indian came along and proposed to take all our horses 
!i(;ross for a dollar. When the ferrynian found that the 
Indian had contracted with us for the horses, he con- 
cluded he would take ns ovei', men, women, children 
and wagons for a dollar a wagon. The Indian examined 
all the horses very carefully and rtnally selected an In- 
dian po«y of mine to i-ide He told us, when he rode 
into the river, to start the Iiorses after him and he would 
land them all safely on the other side. He started and 
very soon found his horse had to swim, when he 
dropped from its back and caught it by the tail, the 
horse striking out at quite a lively gait for the opposite 
shore. All the others followed and every one was safely 
landed as the (-ayuse had promised. One thing was 
very evident, that the pony had been accustomed to such 
work for it did the job so easy and in a kind of matter- 
of-fact way- 

It was at the mouth of this river that the bodies of 
the three unfortunate young men were found who at- 
tempted to navigate treacherous waters with a small 
vessel- 
After crossing we did not have to go far until we came to 
Willow creek and those who intended traveling over the 
mountains instead of going by the Dalles must follow up 
this stream. Those who had money concluded to go by 
the Dalles, for on this route they had to pay the boats 



SCEi^ES. OF KAULIEH BAYS. 57 

rnuiui)<^- on the Columbia liver, while tliose without 
jiieans decided to go the mountain ro.id which meant 
*• without monej and without price." Here, of c-ourse, 
our wavs parted and after we had said a kind farewell to 
each other, those who were bound for the mttuntains 
turned to the left up the creek nauied above and soon 
found excellent bunch grass for their teams and willows 
for lire wood. We lieanl that the mountain road was a 
ver}' hard one to travel, but a little roughness, and, iu 
fact, a great deal, had no terrors any more for us for we 
had become accustomed to such things. It was said to 
be eighty miles across with but little work on the road. 
On the east side the ascent was quite gradual and there 
was real romance in cliiubing, especially after we came 
to tall timber where the echo sounded so loudly. One 
lady in the company, with a very strong voice, then 
commenced to sing, "when up the mountain clinjbing 
we will sing this merry straiu." It seemed to do all 
hands good to hear the voice of song in the wild woods, 
as but few had felt like singing for a thousand miles 
back. 

After we came to the tall timber we had enough to try 
the patience of the most patH^nt. Large rocks weie in 
the road and the storms had blown the trees across thenj 
and we had to frequently use handspikes and raise oui 
wagons over them, go a few rods and then do the same 
work over. All the way over was not so bad as that I 
have just described, but sometimes we would travel sev- 
eral miles without much hindrance This road had been 
view out by Messrs. Barlow, Carver and Itector. Onc( 
they were lost and had to subsist on long, slinjy snails 



58 SCENES OF EARLIER DAYS. 



for some time. Mr. Kector used to own unci operate a 
flour mill on IMark West creek, a few miles above Santa 
Kos;i, and a short distance above the road leading from 
Santa Rosa to Healdsburg. The property is now used 
as a sanitarium. 

When fully into the mountains we found that some 
one was traveling on before us who had not lost the fun 
that was in him. Every now and then he would blaze a 
tree (and take tar from his wagon] and write theroii 
"left her rip at such an hour and day." We kept seeing 
this sign frequently as we traveled on up the mountain 
over logs and rocks. Finally >ve got up about the sum 
mit where we saw the end gate of a wagon standing and 
the very significant sign placed on it, "couldn't rip any 
longer, couldn't," and we looked around and there was 
his wagon completely demolished by "ripping," as he 
called it, over the rock and logs so much. I often 
wished afterwards that I could find the man who wrote 
those signs for I thought there must be something extra 
in him when he could have the wear and tear of more 
than 2000 miles travel and still retain so much good 
nature. The signs left by this man made us all feel 
better and assisted us in over-coming the difficulties \)y 
the way. 

We camped one night near the foot of Mount Hood, 
in a small prairie, and found good water, poor grass and 
a cold frosty night, even if it was about the middle of 
August. There Avas some improvements in the road 
from this place but still we had to pass over many a rock 
and log after this. We finally came to the place of all 
places, so far as a name was concerned, we had already, 



?*CENKS OF EARLllia DAYS. 5i* 

many miles back, passed the Devil's canyon, and now to 
think after the lon<jf tidions journey of the plains and 
before we could reach the liotne we had in view, we had 
actually to go over the PeviPs Back Bone. It almost 
made ns shudder although we had been used to hard 
names and hard ix)ads. When we got on to it (that is 
the Devil's Back Bone) we found the best road in nil 
the mountain we had yet passed over and concluded 
there was not much in a name after all, although some 
people think there is a great deal. It was a long divide 
between two streams, but very narrow, with just ix)om 
for wagons and teams to pass. On either side there was 
immense canyons so for down that we could not see 
where they terminated. The sight was a grand one, but 
the road you must keep or plunge headlong with self, 
family, wagon and teanj down, down towards the regions 
below. I was really glad when we were safely over it, 
but why rejoice at this when greater tiouble by far was 
just ahead of us a few miles. 



CHAPTER XVI. 



We had been told by some men who had been over 
these mountains before that there was one hill to go 
down and that we must fasten a tree to the wagon for 
safety. W"e approached it with fear resting on our 
minds but with a firm determination that "what man 
has done, man can do." When we came in sight of it 
I confess it was very forbidden as it seemed almost as 
straight up and down as the walls of a house. My wife 
tried to ride down it in the wagon with our two children 



60 SCENES OF EAKLIKR DAYS. 



but became alarmed for fear the wagon would go end 
over end, so I halted and helped her and the children 
out. Then she started with them to decend the hill one 
in her arms and holding the other by the hand, when 
she found that it was going to endanger their lives as 
well as her own and she called out "I cannot go another 
step without help." 

It was impossibe for me at the time to render any as- 
sistance as I had all I could do to manage the team. I 
had fastened two logs to the hind axle, each about four- 
teen feet long, and then locked both hind wheels. These 
logs were about eight inches through and I found it very 
difficult to keep my feet and manage the horses. After 
a travel down hill of more than a mile and a half I found 
myself at the foot and drove the team out of the road, 
hitched them and commenced to ascend. I would go a 
little distance and then blow, and then a little fai'ther 
and puff, and after an absence of almost two hoiirs I 
came in sight of my family all seated on the same ro-k 
they occupied when I left them. We commenced the 
decent and after many hard struggles we managed to 
get to our wagon again very thankful and had no broken 
bones to mend and no other hill as bad as this one to go 
down. 

The streams in the Cascade Mountains run very 
swiftly and we found their depths very deceiving. We 
crossed one named Zigzag several times and the first 
time we crossed it looked like it might be ten inches or a 
foot in depth, and when we drove into it we found it 
was at least two feet deep. Some came very near being 
drowned at the first crossing and were verv willing after 





An Indian arrow pierced his body. — page 48. 



f)'2 SCENES (IF EARI lER DATS, 



tin's to get into the wagon. There were times when it 
was even difficult for the horses to keep on their feet 
and at the same time pull the wag-on across. The rock» 
aver which the waters ran so swiftly were worn as 
smooth as glass and this added to the bnrden of the 
team. We had five da^s of this rough mountain travel 
but without a single accident, even if we did have to 
travel over the Devil's Back Bone and down the worst 
hill that a wagon and team e^er went hitched together, 
I have heard other emigrants tell about letting their 
wagons down hill by ropes, bnt the horses or cattle were 
led without the wagon. After crossing Zigzag for the 
last time we found, not far away, a little grass by the 
side of a small stream and concluded we would c;imp for 
the night. Gladly, we thought, this is our last night in 
these mountains and our main troubles will soon be at 
an end. 

We arose very early for we knew from the description 
which had been given us that we still had l>et\veen fifteen 
and twenty miles to go that day, which was the twenty- 
second day of August, 1851. When we came to break- 
fast we found that we had enough crackers for our 
children through the day by being very saving of them 
and that so far as we were concerned we must make that 
twenty miles on one cracker and a cup of coffee. We 
ate it and started with a courage which knew no such 
word as fail. We thought it very poor policy to give up 
when we were almost in sight of final victory and yet we 
knew it would be very hard work to travel all day on 
such a light breakfast. On and on we went over hills 
and hollows as fast as our poor team could take us. It 



SCENES OP EARLIEU DAYS. 63 

was real nice to see the mountains beginning to Matten 
out and our road improving greatly in smoothness. We 
knew from the appearance of the country that we were 
Hearing Foster's at the foot of the mountain. 

No one knows what gladness tills the soul when after 
traveling and toiling as long as we had, and the last day 
on empty stomachs, they begin to see and know that 
they would soon be there. Such joy cannot be described 
and only those know of it who have passed through 
such scenes. For one I felt like saying, "hip, hip, 
hurrah." But if I had been disposed to exult and feel 
proud of our success, pride would have had a great 
tumble in a moment's time when I thought, "here I am 
2000 miles and more from home with a family to feed 
and nothing to feed them on and no money to buy any- 
thing with but three bits and that borrowed." 

It is said that a peacock struts most beautifully until 
his eyes happen to light on his ugly feet then all his 
feathers fall in a moment's time. Had I been disposed 
to feel proud when I thought of my slim purse and our 
poor clothing pride would have instantly tied. 

Finally we drove up in front of a log cabin where 
signs of plenty could be seen. 



PART SECOND, 



CHAPTER XVII. 



At tlie foot of tlie Casciitle Mountains I propose to be- 
<;fn mv experiences of western life, for here I had my 
first struggle. When we drove up in front of Mr. Fos- 
ter's house a gentleman came out to the front gate and I 
asked him if his name was Foster. He said it was. 
Walking up near him I said: 

"VVeare here and almost starved, having traveled all 
day on one cracker and some coffee, and now, sir, if you 
will supply our wants I will give you the last cent of 
money I have in the world, which is three bits, and to- 
morrow I will work for you until you say you are fully 
paid." 

He replied that a great many of the emigrants who had 
passed there had abused him and called him Old Pica- 
yune Foster, "Now, sir, if you will speak a kind word 
for me as you go up the valley I will let you have 
what you want for the money you have without the 
work." 

I told him I certainly would do that much and 
thanked him very gratefully besides. He had killed a 
tine, fat three-year-old beef the day before and he gave 



SCENES OF EAULIKR DAYS. (55 

me at least ten pounrls of that and a nice lot of Hour 
and said: "There is the hoe and yonder is the potato 
])atch, help yourself. I will oo to the barn and throvv 
some hay down for your horses for there is no grass 
near here." 

T will leave the reader to guess the amount of supper 
we ate, and we afterward slept soundly all night. Often 
in talking with men who had passed ]Mr. Foster's, both 
before arid after we did, I heard them abuse him, and 
when I would tell of his kindness to us it would astonish 
them to think he had been so liberal. I never knew wliy 
he treated us so kindly, but one thing T f-an say, I was 
glad to find a friend when we really wanted one for we 
were strangers in a strange land. 

The next morning I went to him again and thanked 
him and asked him if he could tell me where I could get 
some w^ork to do. He said he thought a man about a 
mile from him, and directly on our road, wanted help 
for he had just thrashed his grain with an old chaii" piler 
and now he wanted to clean it with a fanning mill. We 
found the man and the place and the work and soon a 
bargain was made and he was to board us, if my wife 
would do the cooking, and give me a dollar and a half a 
day. 

We remained with him two days and then traveled on 
up the valley in search of work and a home. Emigrants 
that year were allowed, if they w'ere mai'ried, 320 acres 
of land and as we traveled on we made incjuiry where 
homes could be found. We came to a stream called 
Mollala and crossed it on the main mail route up the 
country from Oregon city. It was a beautiful stream of 



GG SCENES OF EARLIER DATS. 

pure mountain water and w e camped there and found 
grass in abundance. 

There was a man Jiving near the ford who had been 
there a number of years, being among the first to go to 
Oregon overland. He seemed to be a nice quiet gentle- 
man. He had married prior to 1850 a very worthy 
young lady, and all who married before that date were 
entitled to 640 acres. This he had secured from the best 
laud in the territory, for Oregon was not then a state. 
He kept a Post Office at his place and one day in his 
absence the mail came and his wife opened the sack and 
among other letters she found one directed to her hus- 
band in a women's hand writing. Curiousity prompted 
her to open it and she found that it was a letter from 
his wife in the states, fetating that her team was about to 
give out and she wished he would come and meet her 
and help her in to the Willamette valley. When h^ re- 
turned his wife showed him the letter and he acknow- 
ledged all, but had quietly kept it from her. 

"What had I better do," said he, "I do not want any 
trouble with you \vomen, for I have deceived both of 
you." 

"You must go and meet her and help her over the 
mountains, then bring her here and we will settle the 
matter without any trouble whatever," she exclaimed. 

He went and met his first wife and brought her to his 
home and said to the women: 

"I do not want any law suit or scandal about this. 
You two talk it over and decide between yourselves and 
the one that will live with me I will live with her and 
the other one I will ijive 320 acres of land and build a 



■St!"E-S"ES OP EAliLlKK D.WS (w 



liouse and barn on it at my own expense an^ furnish 
some stock for it/' mentioni)i.g' the anion nt. 

The first one spoke up imniediately anil wiid tt) the 
<other luly, "you have lived with hini a great deal lon^ijer 
than I have and you can continue to do so." 

lie went to work and siKiw erected huihlings and 
snoved Jier on to the property and after awhile she mar- 
ried and thej both hved tliere side by side as peacable 
as hunbs. This story was tokl to me by a man who was 
intimately accjuainted with all the parties and from what 
1 knew of him 1 think he told the truth. Of eour^e, 
this was something- unusal, more esjxjcially the latter 
portion of it where they o;ime to sueh an agreeable 
understanding- and live<l peacablj' for years close to- 
gether. The other part, which told of the man marry- 
ing one women in the states and then another in Oregon, 
was nothing uncommon, for it had been done before 
this, and it has been done many times since. 

The next stream we came to was called Abiqua and a 
man by the name of Allen lived near it. When we drove 
up in front of his dwelling he came out to where we 
were. He was a large, good-natured man and one that 
a strani^er would have no trouble in forming an acquain- 
tance, lie spoke up immediately and said: "I am glad 
to see you iu this western world. Last spring I put out 
a very large garden and I liave a good one and if you 
will camp near here you can have all the vegetables you 
want without cost and if you want meat I have a smoke 
house full of bacon, and plenty of tlour. These you can 
have at a very low price." 

We thanked him and tarried a few days, while our 



G'S gCEJfES OF EAKLIliK DATS, 



horses were resting as well an ourselves. One day, in 
conversation, be asked me my name and the state 1 emi- 
grated from, and he said immediately. 

"You, then, are a licensed minister in the Cumberland 
Presbyterian Church, for a gentleman by the name of 
Johnston, a minister also, told me you was on the road 
and would be along soon." 

1 afterwards became very well acquainted witii him 
and found him to be an elder in the same church and a 
man who exerted an excellent intiuenee wherever he was 
known. He was not a long, sour-faced Christian, but 
one who could enjoy a hearty laugh and tell as spicy an 
anecdote as any one. He was a true man among men 
and this is saying enough of any one. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 

A few years after this his name was placed on the 
temperance ticket as a candidate for the Legislature. He 
did not have much book learning, as he said, but was 
one of the best judges of human nature I ever saw. I 
heard him make one of his ])olitical speeches. There 
was a large concourse of peoi)le present and when he 
arose to speak he said : 

"Mr. Chairman, the men opposed to me are men of 
learning, while 1 have but a small amount of that article, 
but I contend I have a decided advantage over them all; 
there are but very few men who understand real good 
language while everybody understands poor language." 

When he said this they proposed three cheers for Sam 
Allen, which was given \\ith a hearty good will. He 



SCENES OF EAKLIKK DAYS. (59 

(•ertiiiuly would have been elected had it not been that 
he was running" on the temperance ticket. If men would 
vote as they pray and they know is right the temperance 
ticket would be elected without much trouble, btit party 
carries the day whether right or wrong, and while this 
is tlie case good men must take a back seat. These 
things will be changed after awhile when party must 
give place to right-thinking and right-acting. 

After camping at the Abi(jua a few days we passed be- 
yond the Santiain river in search of winter quarters and 
work. South of this stream we found a beautiful 
country and only occupied here and there with inhabit- 
ants. A Mr. \Vm. Eail proposed to me that we could 
occupy the upper portion of his house for the winter 
and what work he had he would give it to me. It was 
not long until we had a home of our own and moved 
into it. 

!n the spring there was to be a political county con- 
vention held in Albany, the county town of Linn county, 
and my friend Earl was anxious that I should go and 
become a candidate for assessor. I told him I never had 
much to do with politics and that was not my object in 
coming west; that I would much rather remain in priv- 
ate life than to be tossed about on the uncertain sea of a 
political campaign. However, I went with him, was 
placed in nomination as a candidate and run for the 
office and was elected by a veiy large majority. So far 
as I ever knew the people, as a general thing, were 
satisfied, at least I suppose they were, for when they 
came to the next convention they wanted me to run for 
the same office but I stoutly refused. I felt then, and 



7(] s'CKNEs' Ol-"* EARrfER DATs^ 

still feel, iimt mie VMir of m poIilic;iI life was eiion In 
without j^"OTn;i( further and Iiaving- characrter uii<Tersto(HT 
and men otferrnj^' m-oiiey if I wovild oiil}" use it at certain 
precincts. I think every nan on<ifht Ur der Iris (Tut}' at 
the polls ami those offerino- bribes oiig-ht never to be al- 
lowed a vote. This constitutes all of my political life 
and T have alwa^'s been g'lad it did, for there is a host 
who are ruined morally and who- beronre drunkards just 
because they have been po-litical aspirants and held some- 
petty office I Was then quite youn^- aiuT althoug'h raised 
right I might Irave gmie astray with all my Scotch stub- 
bornness had I entered he^ut and soul into politics. I 
never could swim in water aniT I think I shoidd have- 
made just as poor one an the political sea. I feft that I 
had another and greater calling than to enter }K>litical 
strife and that (iod's (claims weie far above all (Hhers and 
that wish should be followed. 

I gave myself to the work of preaching and trying to 
save men from endless ruin I reineml?er once establish- 
ing an appointment on North Santium and one Hunday 
I preached on endless punishment, proving the doctrine 
from the Bible and showing its reasonableness. There 
was present a Universalist and after the sermon he said 
to a neighlx)r, "I do not believe in scaring people into 
religion.'' 

"Oh," said the other, "if they can be scared into it let 
them be scared for it will l>e the happiest scare they ever 
had in all their lives." 

Now, I want to talk a little while to any young minis- 
ter who may chance to r(!ad this art cle. I had an ap- 
pointment once for what was then termed a two days' 



SCENES OF EAKUEK DAYS. 71 

meetiiii? at the Elkiiis school house in what was known 
as the Forks of Saiitiam. My two days' uieetiu;^- was 
begun on Saturday night. Through the week I had 
been trving to fix up a sermon for the first appointment 
and all the text I could find to interest me was the one 
found in the book of Daniel, "Thou art weighed in the 
balances and art found wanting " All I could think 
about was the history connected with the text and when 
1 got up to preach I had uo trouble going that far. 
When i had gone th-it far the thought occured to me. 
"now what are you going to do with the balances and 
what will you place on each side " Put un ungodly 
world on one side and God's law on the other and see 
how they wall balance. I never had better liberty in 
preaching in all my experience and I w^ound up by show- 
ino- that Christ alone could balance the scales as he was 
the end of the law for righteousness to every one that 
believeth. 

When the sermon was finished they came running to 
me telling what a fine sermon they had. The thought 
occured to ine, "you call that a good sermon 1 will show 
what a good one is tomorrow." The morrow came and 
a full house assembled and 1 took for a text, "And I s-aw, 
as it were, a sea of glass mingleVl with fire; and them 
that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his 
imaoe, and over his mark, and over the number of his 
name stands thereon having the harps of God." If there 
was a sea of glass I never saw it and 1 never got any- 
where near the harps of God; but I quit badly Avhipped 
and, to a certain extent, pride conquered, although I 
have had many a hard tussle with it since. But it learned 



('2 SOEJj'Eh' OF EAKXfEft' OAFS" 

lue one very important leHson :iti<1 that was to take 
plainer texts and not try to show my own smartness in- 
stead of preaching- Christ. 

There was a camp meeting once held by the Tnited 
Hi'ethen a few miles from where I li^'ed and I attended^ 
it." on the sabbath. They as'ked me to preacb for them 
ill the afternoon, which is and always h:k» been, a very 
unfavorable hoair. However, I consented and took for 
a text, "Foi' the l)ed is shorter than that a man can^ 
stretch hin>self on it and the covering narrower tham 
that he can wrap himself in it."^ When I got up to 
preach the j)eo})le were standing in grou]3s talking, ox" 
seated eating nidons, not all the congregation but per- 
liaps one-half, i told thenj I was not sure whether i 
had anything to say that would interest then* but one 
thing was »ure my exjjeriencs of text would not fail to 
interest all if they would listen and hear it. They com- 
menced to be seated and finally all were ready to listen 
and when i told what the text was some came near 
laughing out loud. There was a good degree of interest 
and excellent attention but the thing 1 wanted to speak 
of particularly was this: There was present a gentle- 
man and his wife whom 1 did not know and had never 
met and after the sermon they started for home a few 
miles distant. After they left the camp ground and 
were traveling homeward they both seemed to be very 
serious- Finally the liusband broke the silence and 

said : 

"Wife, somebody has been telling that j^reacher all 
about us having that orphan boy and how bably we are 
treating him by furnishing the bed W'e have. We must 



'SCK'STeS V)¥ EARLlKlJ 'DATs. 73 

aiiend our wavs and <>et him a l)etter bed and better 
<L-oveiiu^" so that we will not Ul' exposed next time we at- 
4«-ud church," 

It was not loii;^ before the jkmh' fellow had as ^ood a 
3)cd a> other bojs. 

J'he winter of ll^/)() and 1 H57 was one of the worst 1 
ever s iw in any country for dampness. There were forty 
•days without one single ray of biignt sunshine and it 
rained some out of every twenty-four hours. We resolved 
ito go where there was sunshine if it was to be found on 
the western slope of our great country. When we left 
Oregon for California, whick was in February, 1858, the 
elder of the church where 1 had been pleaching for sev- 
eral years and in whose bounds we lived came to me and 
said : 

"You are going into a very dangerous country, one 
where human life is not valued very highly and it Avill 
be necessary for you to be well armed or they are sure to 
kill you." 

1 told him 1 was not the least afraid of any thing of 
the kind, that it did not look well for a minister of the 
gospel of peace to tell men to repent, and at the same 
time have a Bible in his pocket and a pistol in the other 
read}' to defend himself and kill others. 

Said he with still more earnestness: "1 do not want 
you to leave Oregon without a pistol and 1 have one that 
1 will make you a present of. It needs to be repaired a 
little, which you no doubt can have done at Portland 
while you are waiting for the steamer." 

He jjlaced the pistol in my satchel and said: "Yon 
must get this repaired for no doubt you will want it in 



74 SCENES OF EARLIER DAYS 



your new home." 

1 did not see the weapon again until alter we had bet-n 
in CaHfornia some tune. We had some fowls which the 
owls were troubling at night. 1 had the pistol repaired 
and used to shoot at the owls so as to 1' lighten them 
away. It would hardly have killed even if it had liit the 
owds for it was nothing but an old Allen "pepper box." 
One night when we were all gone from home some one 
broke into the house and stole a pair of blankets, a 
chopping ax, a watch, a fine tooth comb, fifty cents in 
money and the pistol and that was the last 1 saw of 
them . 

1 have related the above for the purpose of showing 
the opinion that even good men had in those days about 
California society. Then this state was looked upon as 
being inhabitated by a cut-throat race of peo])le and one 
especially dangerous to travel in, or to live in. I never 
found any trouble in traveling through any of this Avest- 
ern country and I have traveled thousands of miles on 
horseback and in a buggy, by steaniers and railroads. I 
have found Californians a whole-souled people and will- 
ing to entertain strangers, and as to morals they will 
compare favorably uith any of the newer states and terri- 
tories, or even with Oregon, our neighbor on the north, 
although the Portland Oregonian may entertain different 
views. I once talked with a lady who came down from 
Oregon to California on a visit to some friends. I said 
to her: 

"When [ lived in Oregon 1 liked the society very 
much. INIost of the people attended church, and rich 
and poor met on an equality. A stranger could not tell 



SCTrSES OF EAIJLIKIJ DAYS. liy 

the ricli from the poor at their social gatherings." 

'If you were thei'e now, sir, you wouh^ Knd a line 
<lraw'n and that the rich were greatly stiK-k up," she 
tciiHkL 

?.[y Candid •o])inioii is that great impi-ovenients could 
\) ■ mad' both in Oregon ;ind ( alifornia st)ciety and the 
•one hfis no right to boast (vver the other. Every lover of 
good morals loves to hear of men everywhere quitting 
evil practices and learning a language that has an ele- 
vating tendency, and not one tending- downward, for 
the interest of one is in the same sense the interest of all 
3ind the downfall of one may cause the downfall of many 
snore. No one, it matters not how rich au<l learned he 
is, is authorized to hold his head so high that he foi'gets 
he is traveling on the earth and liable to tramp on his 
neighbors corns. Until the discovery of gold in Califor- 
nia money was a very scarce article in Oregon. But 
win 1) gold was discovered in California, Oregon began 
to wake up and the blood went rushing through her 
veins with increased speed and her strong arm was 
pushed out in many enterprises for the benefit of this 
Mestern country, jf Oregon can surpass us in the way 
of morals and enterprise all right. But be sure, our 
neighbors of the north who dwell in a colder climate, 
that you are willing to give us equal chances with your- 
selves and then if we can beat you in the way of morals 
and sobriety and in pushing out in all directions with 
our great enterjn-ises we are going to do it and if in 
after years you find ;voi^irselves in the shade and see us 
in the bright sunshine enjoying the golden hues, just 
conclude that it was our push and courage that made us 



76 SCENES OF EARLIER DATS, 



what we are as well as our "glorious cliiuate." 

The journey from Oregon to California was a very 
stormy one, in fact the captain, although he was an okl 
sailor on this coast, said the ocean was rougher than he 
ever saw it. We were ten da3'S from the mouth of th;- 
Columbia river to San Francisco, a trip that is now mad ■ 
in less than three days. 

We arrived in California in February, 1H5.S, and hh 
soon as we passed through the Golden Gate the sun 
commenced shining and revealing the country around 
the bay. After ten days of rough, stormy weather and 
strong head winds it was cheerful to tiiid such a ^^reat 
change. We made our way, the same day of our arrival 
in San Francisco, to Stockton and I commened to look 
around and see what could be done in religious matters. 
1 found a small church organized about seven miles 
from Stockton on the Sacramento road and finding a 
vacant house we moved among them and commenced 
work. 'I here was no church organized in Stockton h\ 
the C. Ts., and, of course, no building in which to hold 
services. After consulting with a few members who 
lived there we concluded to make an efibrt to build. 

Stockton then had a population of about 1000 and 
there were two Methodist church buildings and one 
Presbyterian. Our first effort was to find a lot on which 
to erect a house of wort-hip. This was soon done and 
we started our subscri^jtion paper and in a few months 
the building was erected, house and lot paid for and a 
church organized The elder, a Mr. Horsman, assisted 
me in all the work, except he would not go into saloons 
and beg money for church purposes. 1 went into every 



SCENES OF EAULIEK BAYS. 77 



saloon in the town and my recollection now is that 1 
never failed to yet money out of any of them. Some- 
times i would tind them yambliny and watch them a few 
moments and say : 

"Gentlemen, 1 am a stranger in this country but 1 
have always understood that men following your occu 
l^ation were very liberal toward the churches, and as 1 
am trying to budd one m this city I called to get some 
help, 'now show us your hand, if you please,' " and they 
generally responded very liberally. 

While 1 was engaged in the building enterprise in 
town I kept up a regular appointment at jny home place 
and also established an appointment at Woodbrido-e a 
small town eight miles north. Sabbath then in Califor- 
nia was the great day for drinking, card playing and 
horse racing and Woodbridge was no exception to the 
rule. This town was named in honor of a man who 
used to keep a hotel there by the name of Wood. There 
was no preaching there and my recollection is that I 
held the first religious services ever held in the place. 
There was a school house not far from town where minis- 
ters sometimes preached. At my first ajipointment a 
member and one of the elders went with me, as thev 
said for a kind of "body guard." There had been a 
Masonic hall erected and they kindly consented that 
services might be held in the lower portion of it. When 
we arrived we found we were the only persons who had 
come to church. I confess it looked very discouraoing 
about keeping up a regular appointment. We waited 
for some time but there were no additions to the congre- 
gation. As miners say, 1 very soon resolved to go out 



78 SCl.NEg OF EARLfER DA?!?, 

on a pfOHjft'trtin^- tour and not <^ive the inattei- up. Not 
far fioni tl^e hall 1 tbund a H-alotiu t'vill of nu-n drinking: 
and ^'ambling, 1 went bac . and told those who came- 
with u>e that 1 thought 1 w(Hdd go over and iitvite thenii 
to church, 

"Yes, you d(r that," they both replied, ''and you will 
g-et whipped before you get out of the saloon You must 
reuieni-ber you are a very late arrival itt California and 
are not accustouwjd to the ways of the people here." 

1 replied that 1 w,.8- not tlte least afraid of beiTig. 
whipped, that that was a gan>e two could play at and 1 
had determined to risk the consequences and go. 1 went 
over and walked into the sal(x>u and watched them gam- 
ble and drink a lew moments and then pulled off my hat 
and made them as polite a bow as 1 co«ld (after I had 
ealled their attention.) Then 1 said to them, "gentle- 
men, you have had a game of your kind, now come over 
to church at the hall and take a game of my kind." i 
also gave the bartender a special invitation to conie, and 
he said immediately. 

"1 request every one present lo get out of here and go 
to church for i want to close the saloon as soon as possi- 
ble and go out and get my family and attend church, for 
no juan shall come into my saloon and invite me but 
what 1 must hear what he has to say." 

1 returned and told my companions what I had done 
and that they were nearly all coming to church, but still 
they doubted and i told then) to wait a few moments and 
see. It was only a short time until they commenced to 
(;ome, and with them the saloon keeper and his family. 
Others saw them coming and they also came until the 



SCENES OF EAKLlEll DAYS. 7i) 

«'t)Ugregati<)ii miuibfrcd al)Oiit eij^litj, and as well-be- 
liaved as any one conld wish. Tli(ue was one man, who, 
I think, had one dram beyond sobjf, came in eating- a red 
apple. He seated himself but kept on eating and look- 
ing to see what I was going to do. He finally laid his 
a[)ple and knife down by his side and listened, seemingly 
with an intense interest, until the close of the services 
and then resumed his eating. The text 1 preached from 
that day was a very pointed one, "And those shall o-q 
away into everlasting punishment. ' It never entered 
my mind that such a text, owing to the occasion, mio-ht 
be regarded as a direct insult, until afterwards when 1 
got to thinking about it. 

From the text 1 endeavored to show the real necessity 
there was for inHicling punishment in the world to come 
that no government on earth was safe without it and 
that God in his infinite goodness would inflict punish- 
ment in the future on all who refused submission to His 
will while they lived. 

Second — I endeavored to show the nature of the jjun- 
ishment to the inflicted That one of the main ingredi- 
ents would be the lashings of a guilty conscience and 
the fact that there was nothing in all the universe to 
calm its fears, that such has passed out and beyond 
God's compassion and that consistently with his nature 
mercy could not be extended to them. I asked those 
who drank how they would like to have the raging thirst 
for liquor to continue to haunt them forever and yet no 
means of gratifying it. Ur then how would you like to 
have the influence and power that gambling hasoveryou 
to continue for interminable ages, tossing the soul about 



80 SCENKS' or E.KKLIEK DATS" 

as if on a sea of tire. 1 contemTed that w lono-doiiig' 
nratle men miHeTuble here and wliere it would be con- 
tinued in the world to come anxl all by their own acts; 
thev ntust of necessity continue' to l>e ni-iserable-, for look, 
where they would they would not see relief coming to- 
them. I urg-ed that if hell was no woisethan a troubled 
canscieuce, wliicb in its v^vy ititare was-tornvetrting, that 
it was better to shnn ft. 

Third — ^I endeavored to show the dnratioir of the pun- 
ishment, taking for my aitthority the text, "And these 
f*hall go away into everlasting punishment." When I 
advanced iu this proposition there was a silence and 
solemnity which was alnjost oppressive. 

After that day I never hail any trouble in securing a 
congregration at that i)Iace as long a» I preached there 
and was always treated with respect by the people, in- 
cluding the saloon keeper. They seen>ed to respect me 
the more l>ecause i told tlieni the tiuth as found in CJod's 
word. This, i suj^pose, was the beginning of what is 
now known as the VVoodbridge church where our good 
])rother, Dr. Steen, now ministers and has been minis- 
tering in holy things for a nuu)ber of years past, .\fter 
the scenes of that day th(;y sent me an invitation to come 
and deliver a temperance address, 1 took some good 
singers with me and went and their were, 1 think, four- 
teen who enlisted with the Sons of Temperance. It was 
(^uite a temperance revival for a small, new town and I 
hope done some good. There is no doubt but what the 
singing of temperance songs added greatly to the interest 
of the evening's entertainment. 



"SCENES or exkltck ij.ws. si 

CHAPTKK XIX, 

I believe it is a historical fact that tlic first eainj) 
aiieeting ever held iu Christendom was held in 'July, l.SOO, 
l)V a Presbyterian luiiiister whose name was McG ready 
jiud that the oustoiu was kejit up by them for a uuiuber 
•of years. Finally it was taken u{» by tlie Cumberland 
Presbyterians and Methodists and has by them been 
carried on until the present day. Camp meetings in an 
early day, when houses of woi-ship were scarce, were no 
doubt productive of great good, but their utility does 
not api^ear so plainly in the older sections of our country 
where houses of worship are so abundant. 

In Sept-'uiber, l^oS, assisted by others ministers 1 
held a ca up meeting near the C.daveras river about five 
miles from >>tockton and not very far from the road 
leading from Stockton to Sacramento city and the 
bounds of the congregation where 1 was preaching. 
The first service seemed to be an indication of what the 
future ones would be. The Spirit of the Lord was pres- 
ent with His moving jjower uniting the hearts of God's 
people as the heart of one man. It was largely attended 
by the people of Stockton who seemed deeply interested 
in the services. Although some of the rougher element 
were present yet such was the deep solemnity which 
pervaded the entire audience they behaved as well as 
though the}' had been inside of a house of worship. 
The preaching was of a very plain, practical kind, 
mostly on doctrine showing the foundation on vshich 
the Church of God rested. Human responsibility was^ 
clearly pointed out showing that God alone had the righ 



82 SCKNES OF l.AKLIEK DAYS, 

to our services. I beiieve there would be more couver- 
isions at the present time if the great doctrines of our 
holy religion were explained more and defended by those 
who stand on Zion's walls to protdaiin (ioil's eternal 
truth. It was when the Apostles preached "Jesus and 
the liesurrection" that men in great numbers turned t>» 
the Lord. On the day of Pentecost the preachiug was 
doctrinal and that of the strongest kind, "Him beiug- 
delivered by the determinate (counsel and foreknowledge 
of God ye have taken and by wicked hands have crucified 
and slain whom God hath raised up, having loosed the 
pains of death because it was not possible that he should 
be holden of it." It was when Paul "reasoned of right- 
eousness, temperance and judgment to come that Felix 
trenjbled." And it does seem to me there is no other 
way to make men tremble only in view of their responsi- 
bility and the coming scenes of the final judgment as 
revealed in the Holy Bible. 

During the meeting to which I refer there were no 
great, n )isy damonstiatiotis suf:;h as is sometimes com- 
mon on such occasion, but an awful solemnity seemed to 
hover about the grove in which the meeting was held 
and it prevaded ever}' heart, whether they were profess- 
ors or not. I remend)er one man who lived eighty miles 
from town who said he had important interests to see to 
in Stockton. For six days in succession he made an 
effort to go to town and when he came near the meeting- 
he said there was an invisible powder which restrained 
him and he would remain at the meeting during the day. 
This man was not a professor of religion b'lt he feft the 
moving of God's Spirit and ii loud call to God's 



SCENES OF EAHLIKU DAYS. 88 

Service. Whetlier he was yielded or not 1 do not 
know. 

The result of that meeting, so far as visible things 
were concerned, was thirty conversions and accessions to 
the church and among the number was a young man 
who afterwards become a minister of the gospel and is 
still holding up the standard of the Cross. This young- 
man was convicted of sin in rather a peculiar manner. 
Together with a number of other men he was engaged in 
teaming from Stockton to the mines. One night a num- 
ber of tliese teamsters met at a certain hotel and after 
su])per was over and their teams attended to they all as- 
sembled in the barroom. At times it was the custom 
for all who could sing, to sing a song before retiring for 
the night. As a rule tliese songs were not of a religious 
nature. One and another had sung their songs until 
the last one to sing was the young man to whom I refer. 
Before he sang remarks were made complimenting the 
singers and all seemed to have a great amount of sport 
as they joined in their merry peals of laughter at 
the songs and the singers, when all, with united voice, 
said to the young man, "Now, Lat, it is your turn to 
give us a song." He was an excellent singer and had 
been -raised in a deeply pious family in his native state. 
He said he never knew why it was, but he selected the 
song that had thrilled so many hearts in the ages past, 
"Amazing Grace How Sweet the Sound that Saved a 
Wretch Like IMe; I once was Lost but now I'm Found; 
was Blind but not I See." He sung all six verses and 
when he had finished he was left alone in the room, for, 
one by one, they had all retired. This was the arrow 



84 SCENES OF !,AKLIEU DA VS. 

the Holy Spirit used to reach his soul, although there 
was not a word spoken by any one, but all retired to rest 
in deep silence and amid deep solemnity. Thei'e was 
but little rest for him for his song- brought up memories 
of other daj's, when the family were assembled for their 
accustomed evening worship and among the songs they 
used to sing was the one he had just repeated. This was 
the means used to bring him to Christ. 

During the meeting, one night about 12 o'clock, I was 
awakened by the voice of prayer which came from a man 
who seemed to be alive to the danger his soul was in of 
being forever lost. It was only a few moments until a 
messenger arrived saying, "The man who keeps the 
boarding tent wishes to see you." This man was a 
cripple in one of his arms and had resorted to the saloon 
business for a living and was keeping one almost in 
sight of the camp ground. We made him promise not 
to sell any liquor dui'ing the meeting and gave him the 
boarding tent. He kept his word and conducted an 
orderly house at the meeting. The night of which 1 
have already spoken he seemed to have an awful view of 
his sins and the evil he had done in selling whiskey. 

When I came to him he seemed to be greatly alarmed 
and cried out, "Parson, pray for me for 1 shall soon be 
beyond help." 

"Mr. W.," said I, 'are j^ou willing to quit sellin<; that 
which is ruining you as well as many others and be- 
come a meek and lowly follower of the Redeemer? " 

"No, Parson," said he, "I cannot give that up; if I did 
I would starve " 

"Do you not believe God could find some other wav 



8f> SCENES OF EARLIER DAVS, 

tor you to make a living?" 

"No, I do not see how he could," 

I told him very plainly he could not be a Christian 
and live only to sell that which had proved the ruin of 
so main' thousands; tliat with such work he could not 
glorify God. His agony seemed to increase and 1 
])leaded with the Lord to give him courage to come out 
boldly on the Lord's side. 

It was all of no avail; he would not give up his evil 
ways and trust the Lord to show him a l)etter way. 
After this he never swore himself, neither would he 
allow any one to swear who was in his em})loy. Not 
many years after this he was fou'.id dead in bed one 
morning, having died with delirium tremens, it was 
thought, for he had been showing symptons of them for 
some little time. When 1 first formed his acquaintance 
lie told me he had a wife in the states and that she be- 
longed to the "High Pressure Church." I told him that 
was a new church to me and he would have to explain 
himself. He said, "the 'High Pressure Church' was the 
Methodist church because they loved to shout so 
loudly." 

The last time I ever saw him was a year or two after 1 
had moved away. I was passing one day and as I halted 
to water my horse he came out and while we were talk- 
ing an old neighbor rode up, and when he had watered 
his horse, he said: 

"Parson, come in and have a horn with me, for you 
never drank with me while you lived here." 

"No, 1 never did," said I, "and should I go in and 
drink with you now you would feel like 'hooting' me out 



SCENES OF KARLIER DAYS, 87 



of the place for you know it is wrong for a minister of 
the gospel to drink." 

However, 1 went into the saloon and got a drink of 
water and the saloon keeper gave me a cigar. When the 
neighbor went to pa}' for his dram he handed me five 
dollars saying 1 was traveling and it might come very 
handy for expenses. As he did this the saloon keej^er 
threw^ down a dollar and a half making the same kind of 
a remark-. 

Two or three weeks after the camp meeting near 
Stockton there was one held near the town of Mountain 
View in Santa Clara county. The ground was nicely 
shaded with trees which afforded a good shelter for 
those who came to worship. The meeting began on Fri- 
day and without any religious interest so far as man 
could judge. Saturday the attendance was greatly in- 
creased but the interest remained the same both at morn- 
ing and evening services. Sabbath was a beautiful day 
and after the morning prayers at the tent and breakfast 
was over there was a general prayer meeting held before 
the hour of preaching. After the 11 o'clock sermon the 
sacrament of the Lord's Supper was administered but 
the services seemed to all to be lifeless. Even uncon- 
verted men began to talk about it saying: "1 was in 
hopes there would be a deep interest on the jjart of the 
Christian people so that we might feel like becoming 
Christians for it cheers us as well as them to see life in 
the services." 

The afternoon services proved to be like those going 
before and professors of religion and non-professors both 
seemed to grow- restless about it, wondering what the 



«8 SCENES OF EARLIEU DArJ?, 

outcome would be. Between the afternoon and evening" 
service two >'Oung ministers had gone f&r a walk and tcp 
talk about the meeting when they were overtaken b}'^ 
the leader of the meeting (sometimes they were called' 
Bishops even if they were Presbyterians ) This 13isho}> 
was Father Bi'awley w'ho said, 'Brethern. I was search- 
ing for you, one of you must presich tanight and 1 can- 
not determine which shall, so you must settle it Ix^tweeu' 
yours!-lves," and took his departure. The two youngs 
men retired to separate places and prayed and then they 
came together again but neither was satisfied. Again^ 
they went and prayed and wlien they met again the 
younger of the two said, "For the first time in my life 
life 1 believe I am the one who should preach the sermoit 
tonight." 

"If you have the light, preach, for I am itot at all sat- 
isfied," said the other. 

The hour arrived for the evening service to begin and 
with a heart full of his message he entered the pulpit 
and began When he commenced he told the congre- 
gation : 

"When 1 have finished what I have to say 1 expect to 
ask those who desire to be saved to come forward for the 
prayers of (lod's people, ajid a number are coming and 
they are going to experience the joys of pardoned sins, 
and 1 want you Christian people to be ready to pray 
with them and then lead them to Christ and rejoice with 
them." 

The leader, or Bishop of the meeting, was an old vet 
eran and had passed through many spirtual conflicts but 
the assertion of the young minister seemed almost to 



SCENES OF KAKl.lEU DAYS, 8T> 

»in nerve him and lie groaned aloud, so as to be heard 
<over the eucaiiipnieut, and said afterwards lie thought 
all was mined and a declaratioTi made that would not be 
fulHlled. The brother, he thought, must be beside him- 
self when he already knows there has not been any inter- 
est at the meeting. 

The preaching was of the heart-searching kind and 
told phiinly as words could make it what would be the 
i-ondition of the finally impenitent in the future and that 
their only hope was in Christ, who was waiting- and 
willing to save them then and now. 

At the close of the sermon the call for seekers of re- 
ligion was made as promised and six came forward and 
all were converted before midnight. Among the number 
who came forward was one who had been an avowed in- 
fidel, talking his infidelity to his neighbors. He lived 
not far from the Bishop of the jneeting. He said the 
night services had convinced him of the reality of religion 
and he wanted to find Christ. He made his way to the 
leader of the meeting and while on his bended knees 
and his eyes streaujing with tears he looked up at him 
and said: 

"Father Brawley, pray for me for 1 am a poor, undone 
sinner about to be lost. You know I have long slighted 
these things and said 1 was an infidel; God pity me 
and have compassion on me. Oh, pray for me." 

The appeal was successful and Father Brawley knelt 
and I certainly never heard him pray with such earnest- 
ness as he did that night. He seemed to bring heaven 
and earth together. There was no longer dullness in 
the meeting but life frojn the Si^irit of God. It was only 



90 SCENES OF EARLIER DAYS 



a short time until the power of the Highest was made 
known in the conversion of the intidel. Men who had 
been his intiniate companions gathered about him and 
looked on astonished at the lightning up of his counten- 
ance and it made them, too, feel that r -ligion was a 
devine reality. The six who came forward for prayers 
all made a profession before midnight and from that 
time on until the close of the meeting there were many 
more saved. God wants all his ministers to be deeply 
in earnest when they deliver their message to their fel- 
low men for eternal interests are involved. The leader 
of that meeting and his once infidel neighbor have both 
gone to their eternal home, we trust, amid the glories 
and beauties of the heavenly land. 

In 18G0 I was appointed as agent for the college pre- 
viously located at Sonoma, one of the old towns of Cali- 
fornia. That fall we moved to Sonoma valley, a beauti- 
ful country to l(X>k at but rather a hard place for a poor 
man to make a living. In my judgujent there were better 
locations for a denominational college than this one and 
one where it would have jjrospered and did great good. 
A wine producing community such as Sonoma was then, 
and still more so in after years, was by "no means favor- 
able for the morals of the youth who lived there and who 
might come there to be educated; but the Synod had 
selected it and I acquiesced in the decision although the 
selection was made before I came to California. I he first 
sessions of the school were held in an old Adobe build- 
ing whose exterior was anything but beautiful but who.se 
interior had been furnished in a more becoming manner. 
I said the Synod had selected tlie location. It was the 



SCENES OF EAULIEll 1)AVS. M 

Pacilic Presbytery, and afterwards when the Hyiiod was 
organized the}' approved the selection also. 

The corner stone of the new building, I think, was 
laid the fall of lM()() under the direction of the Masonic 
fraternity, L;r. W. A. Scott delivering the address. Tlie 
new building \vas to be 50x70 feet and tliree stoiies in 
height, including the roof. The foundation was to be 
of roc-k, and at first it was the intention to have erected 
a stone building but this was changed afterwards and a 
concrete one was put up in its stead. There is no build- 
ing anywhere that could have a more secure place on 
which to build, for although the foundation was built of 
rock it rested on rock all around the building. It is a 
substantial building with a flat roof and one that presents 
a good appearance to the passer by. While I was acting 
as agent for it i told the trustees one day that i was 
going over to*a iMr. Swift's, a very wealthy man living 
on the west side of the valley, to see what could be done 
in the way of getting means from him. 1 remained and 
took dinner with him by his own invitation. When we 
started for the dining room he went to the mantel piece 
and took from it his Bourbon bottle and wanted me to 
take a dram. 

"No, sir, I never tasted it in my life and I will not 
begin now ," 1 said. 

"Oh, it will not do you any harm," he replied. I re- 
fused. 

"Mr. S.," said 1 "you would be a great deat better oft' 
today had you never had anything to do with it." 

"I believe men are much better off who do not use it, 
but I have become so accustomed to it that 1 have no 



92 SCENES OF EARLIER DAI'S. 



appetite to eat unless I drink it/' was his answer. He 
down with his dram antl we went to dinner and had a 
real nice social time. After dinner he showed me his 
buildings, consisting of a stone barn, a stone fish pond 
and a stone house. He wanted me to see his library 
room where he was erecting- a book case and expected 
that it and his library would cost S10,()()U, and yet he 
could neither read nor write. After t^howing me these 
things we took a seat on the front porch, for it was a 
warm, pleasant day and 1 said to him: 

"With all your beautiful surroundings 1 would fully 
expect to get $2000 for our college here in the valley 
and near your home. " 

"1 do not tliink 1 can give you as nuich as that," said 
he "but 1 will give you $10. 0, for 1 would like to see a 
good college here for the benefit of the valley." 

The school was moved from the old Adobe building- 
to the new one as soon as it was ready to be occupied. 
It seemed to be prosperous for a time, but after awhile 
the trustees borrowed some money and mortgaged the 
building- and lot to a private individual and it was not 
long until the entire property was lost to the church, 
and finally the party ])urchasiug- sold it to the school 
district and it is now used as a high school. I continued 
as agent for two years and then resigned and it was sev- 
eral years after this when the property changed hands 
and was lost so far as the church was concerned. Now 
the church has no organization in the valley, neither does 
it own any property there. 

While living- in Sonoma valley I used to preach at St. 
Helena in Napa county, occasionally. The winter of 



SCENES OF KAULIKU DAYS. 5i3 

18G1 I went there to hold nieeting-s Saturday and Sun- 
day but the interest was such that they continued for 
three weeks, it was very rainy weather, but those liv- 
ing at a distance put covers on their wagons and came 
although there was no moonlight. Every night the house 
was well-filled and it was plainly to be seen that the 
interest was gradually increasing. 

There was a young lawyer living in the community 
who had been raised in a very pious famiJv, his father 
being a Presbyterian minister in the city of Philadehjhia 
and pastor of a large church. He had left home when 
quite young and had sailed in almost all waters finally 
finding a stopping place in one of the inountain counties 
of California where he married an excellent Christian 
women. He got into the h ibit of drinking some before 
he entered on a political career and of course the excite- 
ment of political life only urged it on. He was elected 
to the California Legislature and while in Sacranientohe 
drank to such excess that he had the delirium tremens 
or as Father Denny of Oregon used to term it, "devil's 
trimmings." The doctor was called and he forbid him 
having any more liquor. He told me he was worth at 
the time about $5000 and that he offered all this for one 
bottle of brandy, which was refused him After his term 
expired in the Legislature he moved to St. iJelena 
where 1 made his acquaintance. He had become sober 
but had turned infidel and was arguing it with his neioh- 
bors. The meeting had been going on some ten days 
and although his wife attended he did not go himself. I 
was stopping with one of the elders of the church and 
one day it was raining as usual and I got up, ))ut on my 



1)4 SCENES OF EAKLIliU DATS, 



overcoat and gathered an umbrella, when he called out, 
"where are you g"oing in such a rain as this." I told hiiu 
I was going to see the judge. 

"You had better stay in out of the rain for it is a very 
foolish errand on which you are goiiiL;; for that ni m is. 
aniiitidel and you will only make a failure," 

"No," said I, "I feel th it 1 must go." 

1 went and found him in his offic-e all alone and after 
;i little pleasant conversation I said to him: "Judge, 1 
balieve I hive a me&sigs from Uol for you tonight and 
I would be pleased to see you." He replied immedi- 
ately. 

•'1 will be there, sir." 

He came according to promise and the sermon was on 
the Law of God. It seemed to interest hnn and that 
night before the close of the meeting he whs converted 
and v\ ent to preaching and has been a faithful minister 
of the gospel ever since and the instrument in God's 
hands of the conversion of thousands, for it has been 
almost a constant revival under his miuistery since that 
time. At that same meeting there was a child converted 
only eight years old and rather tiniiil. She was helped 
on to a seat where for some time she talked about re- 
ligion and the love of '. iod in the soul until all who heard 
her were astonished at her wisdom in view of her tender 
years. Also there was a young lady who was engaged 
to be married who became insensible and many thought 
she was going to die. Her lover went for the doctor 
and wheij he came he said it would take a higher power 
than him to do anything with a case of that kind. She 
lay there, perhaps, two hours, and such was the interest 



SCENES OF EARLIER DAYS. 05 

in her condition that the services ceased, only a song was 
sung" occjisionally. Finally she showed signs of life and 
it was only a moment until she could tell how happy a 
soul was with Jesus formed in the hope of glory. The 
doctor was a good, religious man and a member of the 
Baptist church and when she commence talking, he said, 
"1 knew it would all be right." 



CHAPTER XX. 



Now it is 18(52 and April 10th has arrived, the day set 
for the departure of a company of men for the northern 
mines and as the country is greatly agitated about the 
civil war it seems to be a favorable time to try the for- 
tune in the gold fields. When one has woiked for tlie 
public until debts accumulate then he had better work 
for himself awhile and try to gain a little of the world's 
goods and pay up, rntlier than be regarded as either ear- 
less or negligent about paying his just liabilities. 

We left the beautiful valley of Sonoma and determined 
to cross the country to the Powder river mines in east- 
ern Oregon, in preference to going by water to the Dalles 
and then overland. And now it will be necessary to 
take the reader over another range of mountains ditfer- 
ing considerably from either the Rocky Mountains or 
the Cascades, although there is a similarity in all moun- 
tain ranges. We traveled up the Sacramento river by 
way of Red Bluff and found excellent grass all the way. 
In almost all companies of men there is sure to be at 
least one who is a fine talker and takes great delight in 
exhibiting his loquacious talent to his traveling com- 



9(> SCKNES OF EARIItR DATS. 

l)anions. We hud one of this kiii<I in our company 
whose ton<3^ue (if such ii tliin<4- wan |)t)ssible) seemed to 
be hung on a hinge or pivot in the n>idtlle and when one 
end tired try the other. Ke was well inroiraed, or at 
least coidd talk about any siibjet^t which ntiglit Re- 
named, and he delight d in telling what he knew ind he 
coidd do it to ver}' good advantage. He had but littln 
force of character and very often intruded himself on un- 
willing listeners. Talk he would and take he did and it 
seemed like you u)ight as well trj^ to dam up the Sacia- 
mento river in time of a flood as to check the onward 
current which came from him, for it seqmed to pour 
from him as naturally as water in a swift current, for 
difficulties did not slop him and if he haj)i)ened to rest 
awhile it was only to gather j-trength tor an onward 
flight of oratory When awake he talked ahnost incess- 
aiitlv, and certainly a man who could keep uj) such a 
rapid incessant roar must have spent most of the night 
in thinking what to say the next day. He was one of 
the kind who did not repeat what he had said before but 
seemed to have a fresh supply for each day as we jour- 
neyed on. One daj' we tarried for noon in a most beau- 
tiful meadow and after lunch had been disposed of and 
while our horses were eiting, this talkative man cam? 
where 1 was. 1 was sitting on the grass in a ver}' com- 
fortable frame of mind when he came and threw himself 
down at full length, with his head resting in my lap, 
and looking up at me as innocent as a child and asked, 
"Parson what do you think of me anyhow." 

"I think you are a regular gaspipe," 1 rephed. 

This only seemed to be the means o. loosening his 



SCENLS OF KAKLIEU DAYS, !•' 

4-on^ue ami of .spuriiiy liiiii lutu greater activity timu 
ever. 

"Gaspipe, " said lie, "i am glad you said it, for then; 
is uo hujuaii iiivention that is much more useful than a 
gaspipe. W'lieu the city is wrapt in tlie sable shades of 
night and neither moon or stars to give light to the in- 
habitants then the gas comes along silently in the pipe 
until it reaches the pro2)er })lace when it 1>umis and 
thiows oat a beautiful light, saving the pedestrians from 
harm. Then look how that cottage is lit up affording 
the inmates great pleasure in reading. But come again 
to your beautiful mansion and see its magniticent parlor 
lighted up too with gas. l:<'ather, mother, a son and a 
daughter are there enjoying the evening as only families 
can, when a ^ouug man, neatly clad and m whose looks 
tales of love can be read, enters aiul takes a seat with the 
group. The i^arents and the son soon retire and leave 
the two young people to themselves, ihere in the light 
afforded l)y that gaspipe he whispers words of love into 
her ears and could you peep in you would see two intense 
lovers enjoying that which Hows Irom that light 
ne gets a little nearer to her for he wants to ask her a 
very important question and not too loudly for fear some 
one migiit be listening. iJis heart flutters and he al- 
most pants for breath but after awhile his neives become 
a little steadier and his courage assumes a tinner hold 
and he asks, 'do you love me enough to become a life 
partnei? Will you be mineV ' Novv his hea^it beats faster 
than ever while she hesitates for a moment and the crim- 
son tide rushes to her cheeks, but she finally says, '3'es, 
1 will be yours.' Oh such wonderful happiness, such 



{)8 SCENES OF EARLIEE DATS 



joy, sucli delightful ecstasy, and all the result of the gas- 
pipe." 

"Again," said he, "let us go to the hoube of the Lord 
where an elequent divine is preaching God's eternal 
truth, let us enter, how beautiful the light is here and it 
all conies from the gaspipe. See that innnense congre- 
gation of worshipers as they sing the songs of Zion until 
divine melody fills the room. See the man of (iod as he 
rises with a solemn countenance and reads the word of 
the Lord and then says, 'Lot us pray.' His prayer is 
soul-inspiring and when it concludes the congregation 
feels nearer heaven and that they are where Jesus is. 
Look at him as he stands thei'e the very messenger of 
heaven, sent to tell men how to be reconciled to God. 
See how intently they listen so as not to miss any of the 
words he utters. He speaks of life and its responsibities, 
the dangers of delay, that now is the accepted time and 
the day of salvation Look again, some have accepted 
the invitation and now see the angels oa joyful wings 
making their way to the celestial hills to tell that the 
'dead is alive and the lost is found.' " 

By this time the entire co:iipany has come near enough 
to listen, when 1 called out: "Hold! hold I am badly 
beaten and certainly I will never call any one else a gas- 
pipe, unless 1 think he is very useful to his fellow 
men." 

The company all roared with laughter at my expense 
and said, "well, the Parson acknowledges he is beat for 
once." This incident afforded more or less sport for the 
company for hours to come. Such scenes as I have here 



SCENES OF EAilUElt UAVS. 



It St 



ilfsfiibwl helps \en juucli to bzeak the moiiotoiiv of u 
tedious jouriiev and to drive away the bhies. 



OHAPTEU XXI, 



In our truvels we passed the town of lieddiiii;' \vhicli 
•was then a siu.dl vilhige eorisistin<^- of a Wacksniith shop, 
a hotel and a saloon, with but few dwellings. When we 
cauie to the mouth of Pitt river where it empties into the 
:~ac»amento we went up the former stream. In going 
on the old emigrant road up this stream we sometimes 
found ])itts dug, the work of Indians in former days. 
They would dig them and then cover them over so they 
could not be told from the .L:round surrounding them. 
Their original plan was to diive a stake in these pits and 
sliaipen the upper end so that if and elk or deei or bear 
came along the trail it would fall on this pointed stick, 
or then if any of the hoises of the Hudson bay company 
came along and fell on one of these sticks it would re- 
joice the hearts of the Indians, for then they 
knew they would have meat for days to come. The 
Hudson bay company used to be in that country trap 
ping. 

One day as we passed along, not suspecting any 
liarm, an Irishman found one of these pits to his sorrow 
for his horse fell into it and his legs were wedged fast 
between the sides of the pit and the animal, until he 
could not help himself. It was really comical to look at 
his disturbed face. For once Pat was badly frightened 
for he did not know what was in the pit. As soon as he 
had sufficientlv recovered from his fraht to talk he 



100 SCENES OF EARLIEK DAYS 



called out, "Gintlemen, will ye ones stand by and see a 
niann die and niver attempt to help a divil of a bit." It 
was only a few moments until men with shovels went to 
work and relieved him of his distress and he went on his 
wa}' declaring "That any human beings who would dig 
such places ought to have vengeance meeted out to 
them, and then to cover them over so as to catch a poor 
Irishman going to the mines to make his fortune so as 
to support his wife and babies in a dacent manner. Wy, 
gintlemen, it is a great wonder that I had not been kilt 
outright and buried in one of them. Jt is too bad on- 
tirely, so it is." 

One night when we were camped on Pitt river the 
snow fell about six inches in depth, and those who had 
no tent to sleep in but only a blanket stretched over 
their heads, found in the morning that they had slept 
unusually warm. That morning we waited until the 
snow melted away and it was about noon before we re- 
sumed our journey. Some of the men, including the 
captain of our company who was an old Rocky Moun- 
tain trapper and used to Indians, concluded they would 
go out on a hunt. The captain had a desire to see 
whether the men woidd figlit if they were to get into a 
dangerous place. He stationed himself behind a tree 
and acted the Indian, both in word and gesture. Finally 
some of the njen saw him and drew their guns and fired, 
hitting the tree, but the captain had gone on the oi)po- 
site side and was safe. After they had all got back to 
camp he told it and then added, 'you will do to depend 
on if we should get into a battle." 

As we went onward a few miles there was a large bodv 



SCENES OF EAULIEB DAYS. 101 



of smoke which wonkl puff up and tlien <lie down, jjuff 
and then disappear aj^aiii, fuid onr cai)tain exclaimed: 
•OFen. that smoke comes from tlie sioual Hres of the In- 
dians and every man of yon look well to your jL>uns and 
see that they are in the best possible condition for 
shootinj>-, for we are liable to have a light most any 
time." 

We all halted and fixed our weapons for war. We 
were traveling up a rather narrow valley on the river 
witli towering mountains on either hand and every man 
was on the sharp lookout for fear of an attrtck. Some of 
the men were actually pale with fear and as 1 hiid no 
looking glass cannot tell how pale 1 was. No doubt all 
hearts beat faster, but with all of our timidity we kept 
marching forward with gun in hand ready to shoot any 
Indian who might be in that part of the country. W'e 
kept very still for fear we might wake some slumberino- 
savages Avhen, to our astonishment, we came to a very 
large boiling hot spring and found that it had been the 
cause of our alarm. It was about twenty-live feet in 
diameter and without any bottom so far as we could see. 
There was quite a large creek running from it and theie 
was no vegetation growing for several rods on either 
side. There must have been a very hot region below 
that spring for their was sufficient heat in the waters to 
cook with. 

After passing to the head of Pitt river, which in reality 
we found to be a large, beautiful sheet of water called 
Goose lake, we passed on and beyond the Sierra NeA'ada 
mountains keeping up the lake and not turning to the 
right over a high mountain as the emigrant road did. 



102 .<n:SL'S OF 1 AR/.IER /)AVS. 

AVe found some l>eautiful oountiy borderinj^" on this la' e 
and after we passed the head of it we found a streaiu 
w'hich was called Eagle creek. It was f>;reatlj swollen 
from the melting snows but we selected a narrow phu.-e 
and felled some trees and built a temporary bridge and 
passed over ill safety, with the exception of one small 
mule, and it fell into the water^ lost its pack, swam down 
stream nearly a mile and theh landed, coming out on the 
side we wanted it too and came back in a great hurry to- 
the company, braying- at every jump. When it returned 
it was interesting to watch its expressions of joy as it ran 
from one animal to another until it found the ])articular 
ones with which it had been traveling, when it sudilenjy 
became satisfied. 

Beyond this creek we camjied in a junijier grove, some 
of the timljer l:)eing dead We wanted some dry wood 
for camp fires and one man took bis axe and commenced 
chopping down a tree, when to his great amazement a 
bunch of something, which had been wound up in a 
l)lanket, came tumbling do>.Mi at his feet. For a few- 
moments he was as nervous as Pat was down on Pitt 
river and immediately ceased chopping and ran away 
from it. Finally he was told by our captain, as well as 
some others, that it was the custom of some of the In- 
dian tribes to roll their dead in as small a compass as 
possible and put them in the tree tops and tie them fast 
there with ropes made of grass. The rope had rotted 
and the jarring of the tree had thrown it down. We did 
not unwrap the skeleton, neither did we place it back in 
the tree. The man soon found there was no danger of 
the dead Indian shooting him and proceeded to cut the 



■SCKNES OF EARLIER DAYS, KUJ 

tree down. 

We found good water and gx)od timber Ix^th very 
scarce in that portion of Oregon. After we had crossed 
some streams and came to some mountains we found 
w(X)d in abundance and good water and some appear- 
ance of g^old. but not enough to justify us in stopping 
very long, for the Indians were troublesome in tliat part 
of the country. On our way to Powder river we passed 
through the John Day country where we saw indications 
of gold and which afterw ards developed into a very good 
mining camp. It was there that 1 panned luy tirst pan 
of dirt in search of gold in the presence of two old Cali- 
fornia niiners who made all manner of sport of my awk- 
wardness. But when I got through with it and they 
saw I had about rive cents worth of the yellow metal they 
went to work with a will, even if they had been shaking 
with laughter a few moments before at my expense. 
From the Indian signs in that pint of the country we 
concluded that we had better move on to Powder river 
the land we had in view when we started from home. 
When we arrived at Auburn, a small village in that 
country, the first thing that arrested our attention was a 
sign over a saloon, not but what signs over saloon doors 
were very common, but this one was not common but 
very uncommon and one 1 had never seen before. 
"Mount Diabolo" in very large letters which had evi- 
dently been placed there by some Oregon man who did 
not understand the meaning of those two very signifi- 
cant words, for had he searched the dictionary thorough- 
ly he certainly ( ould not have found a more apin-oj^riate 
name. 



104 SCENKb' Cfh' EXRLTEH VAYS> 

The Hist Sunday after our arrivil I preaclied muTer 
a larg-e pine tree. There \¥as tlio^n^'lit Co be abcHit r>()()> 
present and with all that number th^-ir was only one- 
lady, the wife of a Baptist niimster, Tliis seenied veiy 
odd and yet it was no uncammon occorence in the early 
days of nnuiug in California. Tbsre is oise tlnnj^' that i 
think all nrinisters have noticed who have preached in 
the mines, and tliat is as a rule men are oiderly and well 
behaved, even if but few ladies do- attend, showing- that 
the men can have <^o<>d order without them. 

Duriryg the summer and fall of lS(i2 alarjjjeemijjrationi 
made their way across the plains from the western states, 
and many found th(;ir way into the Powder river minesv 
so that durinj^' the followin<>- winter Aulnirn had quite a 
large popidation foi- a mining camp- All the houses 
were built of logs, as there was no saw mill neir there 
at the time. Among the emigrants who came xvere four 
young men messmates from Colorado and one of their 
number was a Frenchman, a blacksmith by trade. He 
hired the other three, who '.\eie the owners of the wagon 
and team, to bring him and his tools to Powder river for 
the sum of $100, ^^ hen they were at their journey's 
end he refused to pay them, according to contract, and 
thev wanted to leave it to three disinterested men and 
let them decide what was right Before they did this all 
four went out prospecting one day and in the afternoon 
the Frenchman, who returned tirst, took some Hour 
from a sack, cooked it and ate his dinner and went awa}' 
among some friends, .\fter tinishin ; his meal he put 
the contents of a vial of strychnine into the sack and 
carelessly dropped the vial near by. It so happened 



SCli^ES V)F liAKLlElt liAYS, 



lOB 



that a lady who was caiiijM'cl near them saw all the iiiove- 
•iiients of the Frenchman but at the time th(Mii>-ht but 
little, i. anythiiifi;', alxnit the matter as she was busy with 
her own work When the three returned they all came 
together and the lady of whcMii 1 speak was absent from 
her camp and did not see them return. Being very 
iuingrv they commenced frying pancakes or as the min- 
ers call them. Ha j.icks, and to eat quite greedily for it 
was well along in tlie afternoon and they had not eaten 
anything since early bteakf.ist. All of them partook of 
the first cake fried, when one of them said, "Boys, there 
is something wrcuig with this flour." When the second 
cake was cooked a portion of it was given to their dog 
and he very soon went into spasms. It was but a little 
while until all three men were very sick and two of them 
died in a short time. The doctors w^orked with the third 
man the best they could and finally saved him from 
death. Such news as this soon spread through the en- 
tire mining region and brought together a number of 
people and among those who came was Judge Carver, 
who was engaged with Messrs. Barlow and Rector in 
viewing out the Barlow road across the Cascade Moun- 
tains into western Oregon, who was at the scene among 
the first. It was very plainly to be seen that they had 
been poisoned by some means. The lady mentioned 
above said she saw the Frenchman put something into a 
sack of flour from a vial and then drop it on the ground 
near by and she believed if they would search for the 
vial they would soon find it. The search was made, the 
vial found branded strychnine with a grain of the deadly 
drug still in it. The I renchman was pointed out and 



loir SCEJfEK' or EASLtBK I>\V'Sv 

immediately taken into custody by a man appointed them 
and there for that purpose. 

That night there was a mass meeting by the miners 
called to see what was best to be done. Judge Carver 
was elected chairman and by his counsel a sheriif was 
chosen, who proved to be the man who first took charge 
of the Frenchman, It was decided to appoint three 
judges and twelve jurymen to try him, as there was no 
county organization there and it was several hundred 
miles to the nearest county town. Judge Carver 
was appointed presiding officer. A regular licensed 
lawyer took charge of the case for the people and also 
one for the prisoner. The most important witness was 
the man poisoned, but not dead, and the court adjourned 
from day to day until he Avas able to attend. Finally 
the trial l>egan, which caused a large audience to assem- 
ble at the appointed time. 

After three days of fair and impartial trial, and as civil 
as though it had been a regularly organized court, the 
case was given to the jury who soon brought in a verdict 
of murder in the tirst degree. The presiding judge 
pronounced sentence in a very appropriate and solemn 
manner and then set the day and the hour for his exe- 
cution. 

Among the miners I never lieard a doubt exj^res.sed 
about the condemned man's guilt, but all said he ought 
to hang. 'I he Frenchman was a Catholic but as there 
was no priest in that part of the country I had to offici- 
ate for him as best I could. The night before his exe- 
cution 1 went into the jail and talked to him until mid- 
night and ate supper with him. I talked to him about 



SCENES OF EARLIEH UAYS. 107 

his pi-epanitioii for the future ami that if he was yuilty 
he ou^ht to confess it and not keep denying it as he had 
done, tliat no one who did not tell the truth could ever 
enter that goodly land. 1 had to talk to him altogether 
through the aid of an enterpreter and whether he eiiter- 
preted right or not 1 had no means of knowing for I was 
not acquainted with the French language. According 
to the interpreter I did not succeed in convincing him 
that he had ever done any thing wrong in his life, 
although it was said that he had shot one man in ^ olo- 
rado. 

The morning the execution took place was a beautiful 
one and the criminal refused to ride on his coffin but 
preferred to walk behind it. He was executed on a high 
hill near town so that all who wanted too could witness 
the scene. There was a large number of people present. 
'1 he hardest task 1 ever had in religious matters was to 
go on to the scaffold and offer prayer for the condemned 
man. After he was placed on the trap he was asked if 
he had anything to say and to his interpreter he s;iid, so 
he reported. 

"Tell all the people I am going to die an innocent 
man. Write to my father and mother in France that 1 
am innocent." 

I offered prayer for him and at its close he handed me 
a gold watch, but I did not keep it long as it reminded 
me every time I took it from my pocket of the poor 
fellow hanging between heaven and earth. At the ap- 
pointed time the cap was drawn, the rope adjusted and 
he fell and the only sign of life visible after his fall was 
the moving of one finger very slightly. 



108 SCENES OF EAKLrSK VXYS. 



CHAPTER XXn. 

The two 3^ears 1 was in the Powder river mines 1 lield 
regular religimis services morning and evening as a gen- 
eral rule. Mining through the week, when the weather 
would permit, and then preaching twice on the sabbath 
was hard work but I enjoyed it and the people seemed 
to appreciate it. Besides this work I took turns with 
others in publishing a monthly paper in manuscript 
form during the winter The way the people obtained 
the news was to appoint a night for its reading, when 
large congregations would assemble and the editors 
would read the contents. This was a good many years 
ago but I believe the paper was named the Auburn 
News, in honor of the town in which it was published. 
1 have often wished since that time th it I had preserved 
a copy of it as a kind of literary turiosity of that day. 
It was frequently' the case during the winter that men 
traveled forty miles on their snow shoes to listen to the 
reading, which occupied from one-half to two hours and 
yet they did not seem to tire or even grow restless. The 
paper contained articles on almost every subject, political, 
religious, mining matters and witticisms. The fun de- 
partment was scattered all through the paper and seemed 
to keep up the interest when it was read. There were 
some excellent articles on the Whitman massacre, and 
probably the next article would be a Dutchman's court- 
ing adventure in western Oregon which would make all 
hands roar with laughter. Then there might be a good 
article on the old subject of temperance, followed by a 
description of the antics of a drunkard as he wiggled 



SCENES OF EARLIER DAYS. J OF) 



and staggered on his way home. The night the jjaper 
was to be read was known generally over the nn'ning 
region and the only trouble was to secure a hall laro-e 
enough to hold the people. Wedding notices, of eours°e 
came m for a full share and the notices were very elabo' 
rate. Once 1 went about twelve miles to marry a couple 
and although there were sixty present none knew of the 
wedding save the bride and groom and the bride's par- 
ents and a brother of the groom, but all had come dressed 
in common clothing to engage, as they supposed, in an 
old-fashioned candy pulling. All the ladies were dressed 
in plain calico, not expecting what was to take place. 
The bride and groom and the parents met in another 
house not far from the one where the guests were assem^ 
bled and we all marched there with the couple to be 
married in front and as soon as they stepped into the 
room a few feet they turned round facing me and I went 
to saying the ceremony and they were soon united in 
marriage. Those assembled were greatly astonished 
except the few who knew of the secret. One young lady 
declared afterwards that she did not catch her brealh for 
at least five minutes. This incident was all written up 
in good style for the paper by an old writer and editor 
and when it was read there was one volley of applause 
after another. 

It was too cold and the snow too deep for placer min- 
ing, which was the only mining done at that time, and 
such scenes as I have been descu-ibing greatly assisted in 
helping to pass away the long, tedious winter evenings 
Through the day there was fun, any amount of it, run- 
ning on snow shoes and this sport the Parson enjoyed 



110 SCENES OF EARLIEK DAYS. 

as well as the rest. Some men made saloons their chief 
resort and played cards and drank whiskey, for the two 
seemed to be twin brothers, and thereby many young 
men were led astray and made to travel a downward 
path. 

One day I wanted to get a book from the circulating 
library and had to go into a saloon to obtain it. Just as I 
stepped in the sheriff and judge with some others went 
to the bar for a drink and the saloon keeper said, "come, 
parson, have a drink with us and show yourself social 
for you have never tasted liquor since you came among 
us." 

"You know, Mr. W.," I replied "If 1 should walk up 
to that bar and take a drink with you men that the re- 
spect you have for me as a minister of Christ would all 
vanish in a moment and you would be ready to say you 
never wanted me to preach to you again for you are not 
tit for such work." 

"Parson," said the saloon keeper, "hold on until I 
give these men their drams and then 1 will talk to 
you." 

After they had drank and passed out he came and 
seated himself by my side and said, "at home I did not 
follow this business but had a store where no liquor was 
sold and I was a class leader in the Methodist church 
and 1 thought 1 enjoyed those meetings as much as any 
one, but 1 was raised in the belief that 1 could get re- 
ligion, as some term it, and then lose it again. When I 
came here I found no opening for making money but 
this and I did not like it and am determined to quit as 
soon as my stock of liquors is exhausted. ' 




The cause of our alarm. — page 101. 



ll'i SCENES OF EARLIER DAT* 



I said to him, "you had better quit now for fear 3'oiH 
juight not live that long/' 

"Oh, 1 am not going- to die in nn' i)reseiit calling but 
you will see me reform before long." 

"You have a hall above your saloon," said I, "wilJ 
you let me have it for church purposes'?" 

"Yes," was the prompt reply, "you ma}- have it free 
of rent and I will furnish the fuel, u)ake the fires and 
keep it well lighted and swe|jt." 

He kept his word faithfully as long as we had the use 
of the hull but it soon prove<l too small to acctmimodate 
those who wis'hed to attend and we rented another one 
but had to pay $25 a month for it. At the end of the 
month a collection was taken up and this saloon keeper 
was always one of the collectors. He would start the 
ball rolling by giving $5 himself and when the money 
was counted he always had more in his hat than any of 
the other collectors. 

There are many men who once had noble, g-enerous 
natures engaged in selling grog, but the difficulty is they 
are led on by degrees until their fallen natures gain the 
mastery over them and they are caught in the coils of the 
deadljf serpent (rum) and are ruined. 

The spring of 1803 I njade a short trip into Idaho to 
see its mines and consult with a jjartner who had gone 
there before me. When 1 arrived at the main mining 
camp almost the first man I met was the same Mr. W., 
the saloon keeper spoken of above and that had been so 
kind to me at Auburn. I found him still selling whiskey 
and said to him, "I thought you was going to (piit the 
business." 



SCENES OF EARLIEK DAYS. J];-) 



8a,d he, -Parson, mj stock is not jet exhausted I ,n 
tenci to be as good as mj word." 

1 told him 1 had always found him so but supposed 
lie had toro-otten his promise, it had been so Ion - sin e 
iie made it. "■ 

"By no means; vou will still fiud me true " 
1 do not know whether he had found out the secret of 
«iaki,ig one barrel of liquor do for several years or not 
•but it looked hke it. " 

'•:Mr W., will jou let me have your saloon to preach 
m tomorrow? You can cease selling drams for an hour 
can you not?" 1 asked, 

''Yes,' said he, "f could, but 1 think i can tind a 
be ter place for you to preach in than my saloon, but if 
i do not succeed you shall have it." 

He went across the street to a building which was 
being erected for a barber shop; the fr-ont and one side 
both facing on the streets, had not yet been enclosed 
and he said to the darkey, '-How would jou like to haye' 
preaching m your new shop tomorrow." 

-Me like urn fine, sah, me like to have um christened " 
Jielore the hour for preaching arrived 1 asked a foi- 
nier Oregon neighbor, who was engaged in the auction 
business If he would not go through town on a prancing 
steed and speak of it He kindly consented and at the 
a^Dropiate time he went crying at the top of his voice 
"Preaching today at the new barber shop at 11 o'clock ' 
^\ hen the hour came I think there was the largest 
congregation assembled for . orsliip that I ever saw any- 
where. There was said to be 10,000 people in town 
that day and they crowded up as closely as they could 



114 8CEKES or EARLIER DAYS. 



stand, for there were no seats, and as far as I could see 
up and down the streets it was one vast sea of heads. 
My voice then was excellent and I elevated it as high as 
I knew I could control it. There was excellent order 
and the best of attention to the gospel message and 1 
thought at the conclusion that the gospel had not yet 
lost its power over the hearts of men. This was the sec- 
ond sermon ever preached in the town and 1 hope had 
at least some good effects. The next morning a man 
came to me and urged me to stay and do nothing but 
preach; he said he had talked to a number of men and 
they had concluded they could pay me at least $300 a 
month. All these men, who were so desirous for me to 
remain, showed by their countenance that they were 
drinking men and some acted like they had too much 
tanglefoot at the time they were talking with me and 
beside all this I was at the time not situated so I could 
remain, 

A day or two after 1 leit the town to return to Au- 
burn two men went to shooting at each other. Be- 
fore they had fired the first shot a Mr. Jones from south- 
ern Oregon ran up and tried to separate them, and as he 
came up one of the combatants raised his pistol, with 
the muzzle pointed back, getting ready to fire, when by 
some means it was discharged, striking Mr. J. about the 
center of the forhead killing him instantly. This was 
the gentleman who acted as spokesman to me when they 
asked me to remain with them. It was said that had he 
been duly sober he would not have placed himself in 
such a dangerous position. Whiskey sometime makes 
men very bold and causes them to i^lace themselves 



SCENES OF EARLIER DAYS. 115 

where danger is found, and tltiith overtakes tlieiii. 

M}^ friend Mr. W., who had gone from Auburn, con- 
tinued in the saloon business for some time after my 
visit. One morning he failed to come tn his breakfast 
when called and when they entered his room they found 
hini dead. While selling liquor he got in the habit of 
drinking it and he kejjton until delirum tremens finished 
his earthly career, it is \er\ sad to see a generous 
hearted man and one who niight be very useful engaging 
in a business that lashes his conscience and makes him 
wretched. 'J'his much I will say for this man, 1 never 
heard him utter an oath or say an unbecoming word of 
any one. He was uniformly kind to the poor and gen- 
erous to a fault. 

CHAPTEK XXIJI. 

During the spring of 18(58 there was a political meet- 
ing held at Auburn and a man who was afterwards 
elected to congress was the speaker. He was a man of 
fine appearance and quite hirge, but the most bitter man 
1 ever heard speak on politics, or for that matter any 
other subject. He told the party opposed to him that 
their tongues were forked and that they lied with both 
forks. 1 thought then, and have not changed my 
opinion since that time, that a man with so much bitter- 
ness is unfit for oflfice and more especially for congress 
where he had to represent not only his own people but 
all his constituents. Such strong prejudices should 
never possess a man who is the incumbent of an office 
and be elected by the peojjle. In striking contrast with 



116 SCENES OF EARLIER DAYS, 



this man's bitterness I want to tell my readers about a 
politicial meeting 1 attended once in the city of Stock- 
ton, the fall of 1«5H. The first speech was by the candi- 
date for Governor and it was noble and refined, not a 
word escaped his lips but what any one could listen to it 
without a blush on their cheeks. After him Charlie 
Fairfax came forth to address the people, and from his 
appearance he had been with the bo^^s a little too long, 
but he soon steadied himself and begun. It seemed to 
be a time when some parties were anxious to unite with 
some others so as to carrj' the election successfully and 
Charlie wanted to illustrate that point and he did it in 
way of an anecdote. He said: "When 1 left Virginia 
to come to California 1 was engaged to be married to a 
very handsome young lady and as 1 was coming west I 
thought it best to release her from her obligation. I 
went to her house and had a very earnest talk with her 
and the contract was broken, but before it was broken 
off he said he made her promise three things. The first 
was that she should not marry a red-headed man, the 
second promise was that she should not marry a Scotch- 
man and the third one was she should not marry a 
preacher. 1 came to California and made a very nice 
raise in the mines and went back home. It was very 
natural for me to want to see the young lad}- again. I 
rang the door bell and she came and ushered me into the 
parlor, but all this time she seemed to be very reserved. 
After awhile a red-headed child came crawling over the 
floor and I asked whose it was and she said it was hers. 
Well, who did you marry, and she said a red-headed 
Scotch preacher. That beats me and your promises 



SCENES OF EARI.IEU DAYS. 117 



both, for you have married all three in one." 

There was a "eneral burst of applause and the even- 
ing told in Fairfax's favor and he was elected bj' a very 
large majority. It is said while he was the clerk of the 
supreme court that he and an editor had trouble and the 
editor shot him in the neck and while the blood was 
pouring out on his assailant, for he had i^ained an ad- 
vantage over him and had him pinned fast, he cocked 
his pistol over his heart and said, "were it not for you 
helpless family I would put a ball through you, but for 
their sake I am going to let you go," and arose and left 
him. 

But 1 must return t) the thread of my story after such 
a lengthy departure. During the spring of 18()3 there 
was the survey of a ditch made running back into the 
mountains about twelve miles so as to divert some of the 
waters of Powder river and convey them down to Auburn 
for the use of those who had mining claims. The small 
gulches only supplied water for a short time in the 
spring and then were dry the remainder of the vear. 
The latter part of June the owner of the projected ditch 
asked for help to build it. About forty men resjDonded 
at first and others came on afterwards. With jDicks, 
shovels and blankets they made their way to the head of 
the ditch ready to begin work. In order to receive full 
pay each man was required to construct a given number 
of rods each day. All seemed to go to work with a good 
will, for most of them had mining claims and no water 
to work them. Everything went along smoothly until 
near the Fourth of July. Then some of the men wanted 
to go to Auburn and jDarticipate in an old fashioned 



118 SCENES OF EAKLIKR DAYS. 



rousing jollitication where they eoiilcl get more grog 
than they could in the mountains. The boss told the 
men on the third day that if they would stay and work 
he would send to town and get plenty for them to drink 
and the}' could have their sport in the wild woods. He 
knew, of course, that if he let them go to town and get 
on a spree some of them would not come back and those 
who did would not be in fit condition for work. Almost 
all the men remained and on the Fourth they were called 
off two hours before the regular time and told, "There 
is liquor and all who want it are welcome to it and must 
help themselves." It was not necessary to give the sec- 
ond invitation, nor was it long until a number of them 
were jolly enough and were singing their Irish songs 
and telling their Irish stories until the wild woods echoed 
with their revelry. With a number of others I was 
seated talking about the day and how it used to be cele- 
brated in a patriotic manner and in memory- of the heroic 
deeds of our forefathers. Men would come to us and 
say, "begorry, and why not take a little of the crater 
and feel happy like ourselves " Every once in awhile 
one would take an eye opener and smack his lips as 
though it was the best thing the Lord ever made for 
man. It was during the ribaldry and song and laughter 
that a man who was a preacher whom I had never met 
approached me and said, "I understand, sir, you are a 
preacher." 

I replied that I sometimes tried to preach, but made 
no pretentions to being great or understanding all mys- 
teries, being only a common, plain, country parson and 
1 did not regard this as either a favorable time or place 



SCENES OF EARLIER DAYS. 119 



to talk about religious matters. 

"Oh, well," said he, "I wanted to ask you a plain, 
strai.ht-forward question and it will not hurt you to 
answer it before these men " 

I still contended that some other time would be much 
better even to ask a question, but as he was so persistant 
to ask it, and 1 would answer it as 1 thought best in view 
of the circumstances. 

He proceeded, "Do you, sir, know all about the Bible 
which you are preaching?" 

"No, sir, I do not. There are many mysteries in the 
Bible that I cannot understand and therefore cannot ex- 
plain them." 

"Then, sir," said he, "you ought never to enter the 
pulpit again or to try to preach to the people." 

"Now," said 1, " allow me if you please, to ask you a 
question?" 

"Certainly, ask on." 

"Do you know all about the Bible?" 

By this time the boss and all the men who were sober 
enough were listening to see what the outcome would 
be. 

"Yes, sir, I know all about the Bible and there are no 
mysteries in it, according to my way of thinking, that I 
cannot explain. Ask me any question you please and I 
will answer it." 

"Well, sir, we read that 'Aaron made a golden call at 
Sinar,' can you tell me whether it was a bull or a 
heifer?" 

At that there was a general roar of laughter, and he 
replied, "the Bible does not tell me and 1 cannot tell 



120 SChNES OF EARLIER DAYS. 



you." Then he added, "you are the touofhest case in 
the shape of a preacher T have ever found in all njy 
travels." "Well," I replied "had you come to me at a 
proper time and in the right spirit I should have 
answered you quite differently, but you came hoisting- 
that you knew all about the Bible and trying besides to 
make out that I was grossly ignorant and I conclued the 
best plain was to answer a fool according to his folly." 

After waiting a few moments he said, "I want to tell 
you what I do believe about the Bible." 

"Very, well, sir, we will listen." 

He then said, "I believe in the literal interpretation of 
the Scriptenes, that is taking them and believing in them 
all in a literal sense without any spiritual interpretation 
whatever, for God never intended it otherwise." 

"Very well, sir, are you willing to stand by what you 
have just said." 

"Certainly I am." 

"Well, sir, I want you now to set a price on yourself, 
before these gentlemen as witnesses, for 1 want to buy 
you." 

His reply was, "I am not for sale." 

"That may be, but I do here and now insist on a price. 
I will pay anything you ask." 

"What do you want with me?" 

"You say you believe the Bible fully and want to take 
it as it reads. I want to make a mill site of you for the 
Bible says, 'He that believeth on me as the scriptures 
have said out of his belly shall flow rivers of living- 
water.' " 

Jndge Myers of Santa Rosa, California, who was sit- 



SCENES OF EARLIER DAYS 121 

ting- by me and had been during the entire coiiversatiou 
said, "Parson, put him at the head of the ditch and we 
will soon be read}- for mining down at Auburn." 

Those near us became very much interested and they 
said, "Come, set your price; let us have it quick and we 
will soon make up money enough so the Parson can pur- 
chase you." 

"Well, sir," he replied, "you are worse than ever, and 
such a preacher as you are I never saw bi'lore and never 
expect to see again." 

Said 1, "My friend let me give you a little advice, for 
I am a few years older than you. Never approach another 
stranger boasting about your knowledge of the Bible, 
and that its declarations must be taken literaly and that 
the one with whouj you talk is ignorant." 

As the men began to retire for the night 1 could hear 
them calling out to him, "Say, there, B., how much are 
you going to charge the Parson? We want this matter 
settled right away for then we will sleep better and have 
plenty of water for mining." 

The next day those who worked near him were still 
quizzing him. The next morning he went to the boss 
and asked to be payed off, "for," said he, "I have made 
such a fool of myself 1 cannot have any more peace 
among the men." He left and 1 supposed found employ- 
ment elsewhere. This sally was not all original for 1 
have read of such things before. 



CHAPTER XXIV. 

While I lived in the Powder river mines mv home was 



122 SCENES OF KARLIEK DAVS. 



about one fourth of a mile from town. One morning 1 
went down quite early for m}' mail, which came in at 
night and sometimes quite late. As soon as 1 got to the 
village a friend of mine said, "Parson, we have very sad 
news this morning." 

"What's the matter now?"' 

"Two young men were murdered last night in a s:doon 
in the lower part of town." 

"I will warrant," said I, "if mischief has been done 
and a ciime committed it was in a saloon, for such places 
are the hot beds of crime." 

These murders were not committed in the oldest 
"Mount of the Devil" but in one of the same kind estab- 
lished at a later date. 

The victinis were two young men who had just came 
from the Florence mines and it was said had brought 
considerable money with them and concluded they would 
sojourn for awhile at Powder river. They were from 
southern Oregon and their names were Larimore and 
Desmond. 1 suppose they were in the habit of playing 
cards and drinking some. At least the}* went to spend 
the evening in a saloon, the place which has been the 
ruin of so many young men. Both these young men 
were armed, one with a dirk and the other with a pistol. 
A small, dark-complexioned man, a greaser, came in 
near the same time and remarked, "Let us have a gam*' 
of cards " 

The three sat down at the card table and commenced 
l)laying and after they had played awhile (only betting 
for the drinks) one of the young men said to the other, 
" Let us quit for we are not in the habit of playing with 



SCENES OK KAllLIER DAYS lS,i 



lueii of his kii)tl anyliow.' 

These reniaiks so eiiraj^cd tlie Greaser that liecinieklv 
sprang- to his feet, and as he ^ot up tlie others sto xl u]) 
also and he grabbed the knife from Desmond's bflt and 
stabbed him to the heart. He then snatohed tlie pistol 
fiom lyarimore's belt and shot him to death, both men 
(.lying at the card table before they could reach the door. 
During the excitement the murdeier made his escape. 
In company with others I went down to tlie saloon. 
The two bodies lay on boards as bloody as they could 
well be, with the same clothing on in which they were 
killed, their regular mining suits. They had been in 
body tine specimens of men, weighing about 180 pounds 
each and were about thirty years old. 

To me the scene was an exceedingly sad one and I 
could but think of the wretched work caused by the rum 
traffic. W'e found the saloon keeper still greatly excited, 
so that he scarcely knew what he was doing. He said, 
"I will starve before I will ever sell rum again." 

He left the saloon just as it was and field from the 
mines for fear he might be implicated also in the double 
murder No one ever heard of the money said to beloi.g 
to the two men. It was reported that the saloon keejx r 
robbed them after their death but there was no certainty 
about the rumor. 

At the time these murders w^ere committed there was 
a regular county organization. The officers and miners 
iigreed they would give $1000 for the arrest of the mur- 
derer. By some means there was a man who found his 
trail and followed him into Mormon basin, about twelve 
miles south of Auburn. He watched the movements of 



124 SCENES OF EARLIER DAYS. 



the Spaniard very closely witbout letting- anybody know 
wbat bis business was, and, of course, tbe murderer did 
not suspect there was anyone wateliing him. Finally he 
found where the Spaniard slept in the njidst of some 
verj' thick brush and he went there and took his station 
after the murderer had retired for the night and was 
sound asleep He kept silent watch the remainder of 
the night and when morning came the Spaniard sat up 
in the bed, rubbing his eyes and not suspecting anything 
wrong. W hen suddenly a voice, as of thunder, called 
out to him, "Hold u\) your hands or then you area dead 
man." 

He obeyed and his captor handcuiied him and then 
tied him with a rope and w ith the assistance of another 
man took him to Auburn. They were not molested on 
the way and when they arrived the i^risoner was delivered 
over to the sheriff who fastened a chain to one leg. 
That night a guard of sixty men was placed over him. 
A meeting was called in the morning when the miners 
decided not to wait for the regular term of court, as 
there w^as no safe jail in which to keep him and it was 
some time before the court would convene. Judges and 
jurymen were soon ai)pointed and the trial proceeded 
rapidly. The criminal became suspicious that they 
would mob him and had made arrangements with another 
Spaniard to shoot him if the mob started with him. The 
trial ended just before sunset, about the time 1 had en- 
tered the town and the verdict of the jury was guilty. I 
saw a man run to a store and gather a coil of rope and 
start with it to the place of trial, which was under a 
large, open shed overlooking the town. The rope was 



SCENES OF EARLIER DAYS. 125 

quickly arranged so as to form a riniiiiiig noose and the 
man lassoed like an unruly ox and twenty-six men 
onickly took hold of it and started down street at full 
run. The sheriff' and his party tried to hold him but 
were soon overpowered. 

As the mob started the Spaniard fired as he had prom- 
ised, bv;t missed his friend and shot a man by the name 
of Butler in the knee, crippling him for life. 
Some then started after the one who did the shooting 
and ran him several miles, but he being a very speedy 
footman outran them, making his escape and was never 
seen in those mines after that. In running with the 
murderer they sometimes had him head foremost and 
sometimes foot foremost. When they would strike a 
stump, and there were many of them, then he would be 
reversed and when they came in contact with another 
then he would change again. There was no shooting or. 
noisy demonstrations as they proceeded but they ran 
rapidly about a quarter of a mile and then hung him to 
a limb. This was in the fall and when the judge came 
to hold court in the spring and learned of the affair he 
threatened to issue warrants for the arrest of every man 
who had hold of the rope. The miners soon had another 
meeting and informed the judge that if he carried out 
his threat his neck would be the next one to have a rope 
tightened around it. He concluded to let the matter 
pass without any further trouble or expense to the 
county. 



12() SCENES OF KARLIEU DAYS. 



CH \PTKR XXV. 

1 propose now to tell the reader uboat the history of a 
man with whom 1 became well acquainted with in the 
mines, a tine scholar and a refined gentleman when at 
himself fully. He was born in what is known as the 
bhie grass region of Kentucky, a place famous for its 
nutritous grasses and the excellent quality of its beef 
and the hospitality of its inhabitmts as well as their 
thrift. In a lovely portion of that region there stood a 
tine brick mansion, just outside of a prosjierous town, 
containing one of the oldest colleges in the state. The 
house was surrounded by a gentle sloping lawn of blue 
grass with beautiful gravel walks on all sides and these 
walks had line shrubery and tlowers along their borders. 
There were numerous shade trees in the front yard ar- 
ranged with nice seats under them wdiich were delight- 
ful on a warm summer's day. Back of the house w'as 
the barn and still back of it was the farm and pasture 
lands, all sloping to the west. The mansion was neatly 
painted and penciled and being on an elevated piece of 
ground it presented a very handsome appearance to 
tho.se who traveled the county road in front of it A 
very happy family dwelt hare, the father being an 
honored elder in the Cumberland Presbyterian church 
and one who "w'orshiped (iod with all of his house." 
The mother had decended from a noble family', who had 
taken a leading part in the revolutionary war, as well as 
in the war of 1>S1"2. This esteemed couple had an 
abundance of the world's goods and were ever ready 
with both heart and hand to assist the worthy poor and 
do good as they had opportunity. They were regular 



SCENES OF EAKLIEU DAVS. 127 

atteiulauts ou religious worship iii the town and gave 
liberally of their means to support it. In fact, they were 
the niiiin su})i«)rts of their pastor in carrying on the 
work of tho ehnrc^h. There was a prosperous colle'>-e in 
the town, founded and carried on by tlie same religious 
denomination of which they were members, and Mr. 
Miller was one of its trustees and m:iin supports fi- 
nancially. Many young men have been educated there 
who were useful as minister's and many more have gone 
forth as politicial leaders in the state. Our own state of 
California was blessed in its earlier history by the good 
influence of one who graduated from that school and 
was at the time of his death at the head of a theological 
seminary, it was in the midst of these nice surround- 
ings and in the beautiful mansion on the hill that the 
hero of my story, a Mr. Miller, had his birth and was 
reared to nianhood. 

If a beautiful spot of earth and noble parentage could 
make men useful and refined, then Mr. M. ought to have 
shone as a star of the first magnitude and have been one 
of the very best o: men. He attended the district school 
until he was old enough and far enough advanced to 
enter college. After entering college, being naturally 
possessed of a brilliant mind, he made very rapid ad- 
vancement and was a great favorite of the professors and 
of his schoolmates and the community generally. His 
conduct was exemplary and his parents and friends had 
great hopes that his future would be bright and his sun- 
set without a single cloud to overshadow it. At last the 
day of his graduation came and he stood at the head of 
his class honored and respected by all. His mother's 



1"2S SCIJNES OF KAKLIEK DAYS. 

lieart hounded for joy when she saw the position lie had 
nobly earned and hoped he would be a strong- prop on 
\vh(^m she could lean for her support in lier declining 
days. 

Near the time of his graduation there was a lovely 
young lady who graduated from the same school. She 
too was of an excellent family and a leader among her 
schoolmates and a bright scholar as well as one greatly- 
admired by all who knew her. Mr. M. had been ac- 
quainted with her from childhood, for she had lived on a 
farm with her parents iiear wliere he resided. When 
children they had gambled over the blue grass meadows 
together enjoying their innocent childhood sports. 

He made proposals of marriage to her and was ac- 
cepted. The day for the ceremony was set, and at the 
appointed hour a happy company assembled and spoke 
of the marriage as an excellent oue. The minister, who 
had long been their i:)astor, spoke the solemn words 
which made them husband and wife. His father gave 
them a good farm with a neat cottage on it, where they 
lived as happy and contented as heart could wish. Not 
a single shadow had as yet crossed their threshold and 
to them was born a lovely child who was the joy of their 
lives. 

Adjoining their farm lived a man who had always 
proved to be a very troublesome neighbor and delighted 
in (quarreling and back biting Nothing seemed to please 
him better than to see one neighbor arrayed against an- 
other and if it proved to be a deadly conflict it seemed 
to suit him all the better. His friends were few, if any, 



SCENES OF EAKLIEH DAYS. 1 2i> 



niid the eornniunity would have preferred that he move 
into some howling wilderness for a home. He was cross 
and morose and with it all very overbearing in his dis- 
position. He was very poor and jealous of the pi'osperi- 
ty of the rich above him. Jn fact a more unhappy, 
<lisagreeable man would be hard to find even within 
prison walls. He was a most wretched man and in dis- 
po.sition was u-^ly in the extreme. He had imposed on 
Mr. M. until forbearance ceased to be a virtne. One day 
these neiyhbors met and the one who "neither feared 
God nor reyared jjian" commenced a tirade of abuse, 
calling the peaceable one all manner of names and finally 
made as thoag'n he would do hi n bo lily harm but when 
he drew near enough, the man who was so nn justly as- 
sailed struck him, killing him almost instantly. He then 
went to town and told the authorities what he had done. 
He was placed under arrest although many thought he 
ought to go free. 

At the preliminary examination he was bound over to 
appear in a higher court, his father and brother going 
on his bonds for $4000. He was afraid to risk the con- 
sequences of remaining for fear he might have to spend 
a term in state's pri.son. He and his wife talked the 
matter over very seriously and as he had often spoken 
about going to California they concluded he had better 
go before the court met. Uailroads had not been built 
to any extent in Kentucky at the time. When he de- 
paited he left his wife in tears, wishing the difficulty 
had never occurred She bid him farewell with the in- 
junction, "To live in the future so that he would be as 
mi ch respected as in the past, for it was purely an un- 



130 SCENES OF EAHLIKU DAYS, 



intentional act on his part." 

He made his way to New York City where he soon 
found a steamer ready to sail for the Golden West. He 
purchased a ticket and at the proper time went abo ird 
and was soon out on the great ocean, tossed b}' its ever 
restless waves, which he acknowledged were good 
emblems of the restless spirit dwelling in him 

The voyage proved to be a very successful one and in 
due time he arrived in San Francisco. He did not tarry 
long there but purchased a mining outfit and miide his 
way into the mountains. He soon secured an excellent 
mining claim and went to work with a determined will. 
It was not long until he had accumulated quite a fortune 
and sent the money back to his father and brother for 
going on his bonds and also to pay his wife's expenses to 
California. 

The portion of the state where he mined there was a 
scarcity of water for mining purposes but some very rich 
diggings and with some others he ventured into the sur- 
vey of a ditch which was to reach back into the moun- 
tiiins a number of miles. After the stirvc}' the ditch was 
built, he being the largest shareholder. They expected 
the coming season to reap a golden harvest from their 
investments as well as in the years to come. Th it winter 
proved to be a very hard one for heavy rains and winds 
and the ditch and flumes which had been completed 
before the winter had set in were almost completely de- 
molished. 

Before the destruction of his hopes his wnfr ariived 
in San Francisco and accompanied him to his mountain 
home. When she came to her new' residence she found 



Sf'ENKS OF KAIUJKH HAYS. 11)1 

iieithei' church iiur sabbath school, but found Sunday a 
day of ilrinkiny, gambling and terrible carousing — scenes 
she had never witnessed before. She endured these 
hardsliips of the sabbath day a little while and then l)c- 
gan to long fc>r the home of her cliildhood with its (jiiiet 
Sunchiys and times of rest. Her husband soon discovered 
her great dissatisfaction and how unha})])y she was g(t- 
tiiig to be and knew very well the cause of it, when he 
said to her, "'1 will furnisli you with $50(10 and i)ay your 
expenses back home if you wish to go." 

It was mutually agreed that it would be the best for 
her to go where she could educate their child and raise 
him in good society. He went with her to the city and 
saw her safely aboard the vessel with their lovely little 
boy. Farewell caresses and blessings were exchanged 
and she turned her face towards her old Kentucdcy honje 
and he toward his niountain dwelling. 

He sold his mining (daim and devoted his entire ener- 
gies to his ditch, for he was elected superintendent. It 
was the winter after his wife left which ])roved so dis- 
astrous to the investment he had made. He saw the 
raging Hoods tear away a great deal of the banks from 
his ditch and the heavy winds blow down his Humes and 
tressle works, in fact he saw the entire ruin, financially, 
of his company. 

From that tiuje on he did not ])rove the hero he had 
been in forujer days, but his courage seemed to forsake 
him utterly and he let (natters drift along very carelessh". 
Finally in his time of weakness and want of courage he 
could be seen occisionally about saloons, not drinking 
at first but only looking on as a mere s])ectator. Before 



132 SCENES OF EAKLIER DAYS. 



this he had stood aloft from such places, knowing the 
evil found there, but now he commenced by little to 
yield and would take a dram occasionally to drown his 
sorrows. He had a little money left from his financial 
wreck and the rum power knew it and they determined 
to secure it at all hazards. At the time he wanted moral 
support the most he found himself surrounded by all 
that was profane and immoral and that only tended to 
his speedier downfall and utter ruin. He drank heavily 
for several years, until, from a strong robust man with 
great strength, he was reduced to a mere skeleton. 

Finally some of his frieiuls who had known him in his 
prosperous days proposed to help him if he would go 
with them to the Powder river mines, for he had now 
spent all his money and was living on charity such as it 
was. They hoped when he would get away from his old 
associates and get where there was no liquor sold he 
would reform and be a stalwart man again and trample 
his enemy under his feet and stand erect as a man among 
men. Between California and the mines there were no 
saloons and, of course, he could not drink only as some 
one would give it to him. As soon as he arrived in the 
mines he saw the signifficent sign "Mount Diabolo," and 
with all the warning given from that sign he made his 
Avay thither and had an "eye opener." 

It was in these mines that I made his accjuaintanceand 
under rather i)eculiar circumstances. A man had erected 
a two story building, and the lower portion he used for 
a dwelling and a saloon. The front part was occupied 
with the saloon and the back portioii for the dwelling. 
The upper story was used as a hall in which church and 



SCENES OF EARLIER DAYS. 133 

oourt was botli held. I had the use of this hall Sabbaths 
ill which to preach. At the (rlose of the services the first 
Sunday I occu})ied it, the saloon keeper and his wife in- 
vited me to dine with them, and, as I was "batching" I 
gladly accepted the invitation. It was during this meal 
time that I formed the acquaintance of this Mr. Miller 
and observed his gentlemanly bearing. The owner of 
the saloon sat opposite to me at the table and remarked, 
"that he must be in something of a hurry today as he 
had to attend bar while his bartender came to dinner."' 
He soon tinished his meal and excused himself. 

A few moments after he passed out a fine looking man 
with gentlemanly bearing came in. He was tall and 
erect, showing by his movements that he had been well 
ruised, although is was plainly to be seen that he was 
drinking. Is it not very singular how soon liquor be- 
gins to show itself on the drinker's nose and that he 
soon carries about with him a mark as distinct as 
Cain's. 

After the lady of the house had introduced us and re- 
tired, he said: "Parson 1 have not always been as you 
see me today, selling whiskey and not only selling it but 
drinking it, but once 1 was a regular attendant at church 
and enjoyed its servives. In an evil hour I gave way 
and my constitution is ruined by strong drink to such 
an extent that I am no longer able to do hard work. If 
I could obtain a situation where I would not have to 
labor very hard 1 would quit this business at once and 
forever, for I know it is wrong to sell that which has 
proven my ruin as well as the ruin of thousands." 

He still continued the conversation and said: "There 



l:?4 SCENES OF KAULIKlt DAYS. 

was !i tiiDc in Califoriiiii wlien 1 considered myself to be 
worth between $80,000 and $100,000 tuid I invested the 
Lirger share of it in a mining ditch and Humes, wliieh 
were ruined by the winter's storms and 1 was, to use a 
miner's })hrase, "broke." 

He tokl me hegaduated from a college near his father's 
home and that he married as nice a young lady as ever 
graduated from any school. "But, ' said he, as the 
tears tilled his eyes, "1 have disgraced it all and I am a 
moral wreck and a wretched drunkard, allowing my ap- 
l)etite to control me. By my drinking I have brought 
disgrace, not only on my parents and old friends, i)ut 
also on her whom I swore at the altar to protect and de- 
fend, as well as on my darling boy. They are back at 
the old home and I am glad of it, while I am here a poor, 
miserable man almost ready to die." 

1 asked him if he had not courage and manliood 
enough left to reform and l)e a useful man. 

"No," said he, "never as long as I have to sell liquor 
to earn my bread and butter. If any one had told me 
I would ever get so low as to stand behind a bar and 
sell liquor in the room below, while a minister was 
preaching in the room above, 1 never Avonld have be- 
lieved it fifteen years ago, but such is the fact today. 

He continued as bartender at that saloon for some 
time, but finally got to drinking so much that he was 
dismissed. His money was soon gone and he obtained 
his meals, at least the most of them, by begging them 
from the miners. He went into Powder river valley and 
lived for a time among a farming community 1 was 
away from the camp for some time and did not know 



SCKNES OF KAKLIKK DAYS. 1 IJ") 

what liiul bcM-oiiic ot' liiin. One day in November I met 
him in the road, but he had changed so much 1 scarcely 
knew him. He was so weak that it was with great difiH- 
cnlty tliat he could walk. He said he was broke and 
did not know what would become of him; he supposed 
some one would bury him when he died and that was 
not going- to be long. With the very deepest emotion, 
hearing his bosom, he cried out, "Oh, Parson, can von 
not do something for a poor, unfortunate wretch like 
me." 

He was going towards town and I was going from 
it. I told liiiii to go on and when I returned 1 would 
see what coukl be done for him. When I came back 1 
went to see a family whom i had known from my bov- 
liood days, and it so hap])ened that the husband had 
know^n the father of the unfortunate man in Kentuckv. 
1 soon made arrangements with them to care for him 
while he lived, which at the farthest would only be a few 
days, and 1 w'ould make the best effort I could to rsise 
money to pay them for their trouble, agreeing, if I could 
secure the monej' , they should have at least $3 a dav for 
their trouble. I assisted him to his new home, which 
was with Flev. N. Johnson's family, the man who 
thought to add "tifteen years to his life by going to 
Oregon.'" 

He seemed very grateful for what 1 had done and 
very penitent for the life he had led. One da^^ 1 visited 
him late in the afternoon and saw that he was very near 
his eternal home, and concluded the best time to get 
money for him was while he was yet alive. I w'ent to 
town (which was about a half mile away) as soon as I 



136 SCKNES OF l,AUUKl£ DAYS. 

could and drew up a subscniptiou paper and visited all 
the stores and saloons. I soon had money sufficient to 
])ay for tukiji<>' care of him and to bury hinj decently, 
hut in a very plain manner as all who died in the mines 
were. While I was visiting the last saloon in search of 
money a gentleman came in and said he had just died 
and that it would be necessary to bury him the next day. 
He died from consumption and rotten whiskey and al- 
though the weather was cool is was thought best to bury 
him quickly, for it was even difficult for the family to re- 
main in the room where he was laid out and houses 
there had but one room as a rule. It might be said that 
families were only camping and expected to move on in 
the spring. 

In the spring this family left and I have never seen 
theni since. The next day it was snowing and blowing 
and very cold, it being about the middle of November, 
1863. The coffin and <,'rave were ready about 4 o'clock 
and his remains were borne to their last resting place by 
the hands of his friends. The grave was on a rising- 
piece of ground about one- fourth of a mile southeast of 
Auburn. There we left him in the care of one who 
watches over our dust till he shall bid it rise. This was 
the closing scene in the career of one naturally bright 
and intelligent and who had at times noble impulses but 
gave way in the hour of temptation and went on down, 
down, until at last he filled a drunkard's grave and had 
to be laid away by strange hands. What I have related 
in the forgoing story is the truth for after his death his 
papers were examined and man}' of the facts here related 
concerning him were learned through them These 



SCENliS OF KAIUJKH DAYS 187 

liapertj weie forwarded to his old lioiiie in the east, to- 
gether with tlie acc(juiit of his last days and of his 
burial. 

CHAPTER XXVI. 

In June, ISGI, 1 concluded to bid the mines farewell 
and return to niv California home, having- been absent 
jnore than two years. There were three of us who left 
Powder river on horseback. We ciossed Burnt river at 
the old emigrant road where I had crossed in 1^51. We 
followed up this road until we came to one turning to 
the right, just above a very hot s])ring a few hundred 
yards from our road, and going on this road it led us 
into the gold and silver mines of Owyhee. Near these 
hot springs we saw where the lightning had struck an 
ox team and instantly killed three out of four of them. 
They were left in their tracks, a great scare-crow for 
horses. 

After passing beyond this spring and partly round it 
we commenced to ascend a very high hill, in fact it 
might be called a mountain for it was the dividing ridge 
between two rivers. On the summit of this ridge v^'e 
met two men on horseback, when one of them said, 
"How are you. Parson? I am glad to see you fori have 
been owing you a bill for more than a year and I want to 
pay it. I was afraid you would leave this part of the 
country without me seeing you at all." 

"You must be mistaken," 1 replied. 

"No,"' said he, "I am not, for you married me and I 
have never paid you for it. Come, get down and let me 



138 SCENES bv EARLIEH DAYS. 

rid my conscience of that <leljt. 1 have nothing but <j;ohl 
dust but will tiy to pour you out enouyh, as we have no 
means of weighing it." 

He intended giving uie $30 but wlien weighed it proved 
to be $28. After the usual farewells and good wishes 
(for even miners are sometimes polite) we jcnirneyetl on 
and spent the night with friends in the Ohywee mines. 
Here we found a man with a two-horse team going di- 
rectly to PlacerviJle m California and he did not want to 
travel alone for the Indians had been troublesome near 
that road only a short time prior to this. It was not 
long until we made a bargain with him and 1 disposed 
of my riding animal and saddle. 

The couuti'y we passed over after leaving the Ohywee 
was a very high rolling one with a scarcity of both water 
and timber. The land seemed ricli enough for it was 
covered witli an excellent growth of grass, in our travels 
we found what had once been a forest of pine but it had 
been consumed by tire, except some stumps and these 
we found were petrified. At that time there were only 
a few houses in Paradise valley and tliey looked lone- 
some, but 1 suppo.se ere this the country is settled and 
Uncle Sam has them under his protecting wing and they 
are hoping for the time to come when silver will be on a 
par with gold and the country not ruled so much by 
gold bugs. During our journey we crossed the Hum- 
boldt mountains and while on the summit we witnessed 
one of the grandest scenes of terror I ever gazed upon. 
1 had passed through some of these storms of thunder 
and lightning on Platte river in crossing the plains and 
at the time nevrr expected to see anything worse, it 



SCKNES OF lOAlCLIKK DAYS I'.V.^ 

mattered not where )n\ ste})^ iiii;4l)t tend l^ut this on 
Humboldt seemed to be a eoncentration of many storms 
and all pouriny forth their fury ut once and m a verv 
small compass. We had just [lassed over the summit of 
the Hunii>oldt mountains and commenced goin^' down a 
<lrv ravine wiu'U a small cloud cuine floating along 
<-liarged very heavily with electi'icity and rolling- thnnder. 
Soon the lightning begaw to play and the loud thunders 
rolled until the eaith treud)led and all our wagous tires 
were a sheet of electric Hame. We had oui' firearms in 
the wagon and all thought it very doid)tful whether we 
w(ndd come out alive and every moment we expected to 
see the horses struck with the electric darts which were 
shooting all around us. AVhile these scenes of tenor 
were being displayed before our eyes it commenced to 
rain. Did J say commenced to rainV Yes, it connnenced 
to i^our. How can I describe it truthfully for it seemed 
like we were all going to be drowned as we traveled on, 
and even after we had taken shelter behind an al)obe 
building, which was fast melting awa}', it seemed no 
better. The only idea that 1 can give of that storm is to 
say that the little cloud which came floating over us was 
like a cistern, a fourth of a mile in diameter and the 
same in height, tilled with water to the brim when all at 
once the bottom fell out and that immense body of water 
all came down at once. In a few moments our once dry 
gulch was a raging torrent, at least thirty feet wide, but 
Ave had taken refuge behind an adobe saloon which was 
located on the ground above the torrent that went rush- 
ing past us. The saloon keeper saw his saloon building 
melting away like wax before a blazing tire and he stood 



liO SCKNES OF EAULIKR DAYS. 

and cursed his maker for seuiliiir>- a storm that had ruined 
his business and broken his bottles of rum. Beh)\v the 
house, perhaps a hundred and fifty yards, the hills closed 
in forming a wall on each side of the creek while the 
only road throui^h that mountain gorge was down this 
stream which had so lately been nothing but a dry gulch. 
Had we entered that canyon just before that storm we 
would have lost our wagon and team if not our own 
lives, for the waters rose fifteen or twenty feet in height 
leaving its mark on the rocky walls. The flood rolled 
large rocks out on to the Humboldt tiat that must have 
weighed several tons. There was a man who kept a hotel 
about one and a half miles below us and he had jjlanted 
a garden, which, he said, had came up and w-as growing 
finely, but the storm had swept garden and soil into the 
river leaving him the rocks on which to plant another 
garden. 

I was in the signal service office at W^ashingtoTi city in 
1H73 and spoke of this storm and old "probabilities" told 
lue that it was the second time that wagon tires blazed 
with electricity and the occupants of the wagon spared 
so far as reported to them. 

We passed through Virginia and Carson cities and 
went over the mountains on the Placerville road. Near 
the summit of the Sierra Nevadas we met the stage run- 
ning on a bet of $10,000 against the Dutch Fat stage. It 
was expected this drive would settle the route of the 
Central Pacific railroad. The Placerville stage beat the 
other several hours and when we met them they had four 
horses, two drivers and no passengers. They killed 
several horses on the trip but it is well known that Dutch 



SCKNES OF EAHLIEU DAYS. 141 

Flat yot the roiul. 

In connection «itb this wonflcrful display of nature 1 
want, before I close this chapter, to speak of some other 
scenes tliat I have witnessed on this coast. A few years 
ago we were on our way home, after attending church 
in the city of Petaluma, one beautiful Sabbath day. We 
had gained the summit of a small hill near where Mr. 
Seymour lives, when we witnessed, not a scene of terror 
but one of beauty sucli as 1 never expect to see again. 
Beyond us, but near enough to be in plain view was the 
commencement of the waters of the great ocean, as blue 
and beautiful as anyone ever saw them. The waters 
covered an expanse east and west and north of us as far 
as the eye could reach. Not only were the waters blue 
but their borders carpeted with green grass which added 
to the beauty of the scene before us Out in the direction 
of Stony Point vessels could be seen with sails all S])read 
to catch the winds which at the time were blowing very 
gently. They seemed to be moving very quietly before 
the breeze. In the midst of this vast expanse of water 
large rocks reared their massive heads far above the sur- 
face and the breakers were rolling and tumbling and 
throwing their foam high in the air. There was not a 
tree or a shrub of the many groves belonging to Mr. 
Mecham to be seen,, but all in that direction was the 
blue ocean with its rocks, vessels and breakers. Anv 
one who has traveled up the coast h;is seen scenes such 
as I have just dasci'il)ed if h ■ \v,is near enough the bord- 
ers of the ocean to look on it, but this was the first time 
1 ever saw the ocean pictured on dry ground. Some of 
my readers may conclude that what 1 have here described 



142 SCi'.NES OF l.AKLIKK DAYS. 

are only the iiua'^iiiiiio's of 80me old crank who wants to 
<;ive sonicthino- new for the world to think about. I 
know what I saw and there were two women and two 
children wlio saw the same scenes. I once had a talk 
with a sea captain, who had sailed m Alaska waters, and 
he told me that he had often seen large cities with their 
cathedrals and churches and immense business blocks 
pictured when they were thousands of miles from any 
city. How such pictures are made 1 shall not attem[)t 
to tell but will leave that to men of scientific pursuits 
and attainments. Those who have crossed the plains to 
this ])ortion of our country will remember the hikes they 
thou<^ht they saw on ahead and when they advanced 
found nothing' but an alkali desert. I I'einember once 
in 185S going from Stockton to Saii Ramos valley in 
Conti'a Costa county in my buggy. After (grossing the 
>au .Ioa([uin river and advancing a mile or more on the 
l)lains I looked ahead, and, as I thought, saw a band of 
armed men coming. .\t the time there were places in 
California where the rougher element of the Spanish 
race was very troublesome to travelers and of course my 
mind cau;.ht on that thought first. There was no chance 
to back out for they would overtake me before 1 could 
recross the river on the ferry boat. There was no house 
in sight on that side and it was twelve miles ahead to the 
first dwelling. All I could do was to [)ress on and risk 
the consequences. Sometimes when people are fright- 
ened they say their hearts are in their mouths, and ii 
anything of tlu; kind ever did take place it did with me 
that morning. But on I went, although my heart beat 
fast, and when 1 came uj) to them I found a band of 



SCENES OF KAKLIKH DAYS. 143 

Spanish cattle that hud been on the [)hiins feeding and 
were then going to tlie river for water. Spanish cattle 
then were sometimes as bad as Spanish men for they 
frequently chased those who rode in buggies for miles. 
I felt very much relieved when the cattle passed me 
without interruption. There seemed to be at least two 
kinds of mirage, one which throws its pictures on land, 
while the other lifts objects up and presents them in a 
very unnatural position. The one I saw near Petaluma 
was of the tirst kind and by far, 1 think, the most beau- 
tiful. This picture will never be erased froni my mind 
while I live. 



CHAPTER XX /II. 

Well, here we are, back in California again, and glad 
of it for it is the largest state in the union for its size. 
Has the largest trees in the world and immense water 
falls. Large canals for irrigating purposes and large 
colleges in which to educate the youth of our land. 
Large mountains and large men of large brain and large 
enterprise. Large, tine-looking women and handsome 
children. It is large and generous in climate, large in 
fruits and oranges, and, as a rule, large-hearted people 
live within its borders. It is large and has been for 
many years in the number that needed it and ought to 
be hung. It is large in its jiublic schools and its qualifi- 
cations for teaching. It has large cathedrals and churches, 
large ministers who get wise above what is written, that 
is a few of them. They even make large assertions and 
deny a portion of the old Bible which has joroved a firm 



144 SCENES OF EAKLIEK DAYS. 



foiimlation for nations as well as individuals. Not only 
these things but we liave very lar<,'-e saloons and very 
large drinkers who look like bloated swill tubs. We 
have large cattle and large hogs and large horses. Some 
men do business in such a large way that the ovei'How 
is loo niucli for thcni and they ruin themselves Hnancially. 

But in the midst of this country of large things there 
is a large amount of moral and religious work to be done 
and let Un look around a little as we are now back home 
and see what we can do to help these things along. One 
man says, "Parson are you not discouraged to see such 
slow progress?" 

Bv no means; if the cause is God's men may do their 
best against the Bible and against the cause it advocates 
and they will stand firmer thriu the mountains which are 
our eastern boundray. It took ouinijjotence (juite a 
while to make a world and then make it as be;iutiful as 
it is with fruits and trees and Howers. It was many a 
century after the promise of a Savior until he came to 
make known God's will to man and to make atonement 
for our last race. It will take time to redeem the world 
and cause it to cry out, "The Lord God omninortent 
reigneth." 

But it is coming just as sure as God lives for he has 
promised it in his word, "For all shall know me, from 
tli»' least to the greatest." Let us then look around and 
sec where we can bear a little part in l)ettering the 
world's condition. Here it is tlic church says, "We 
want vou to !)e our missionary agent or superintendent 
in the bou'ls of the Paciiic Synod and go forth and 
iiieacli tlie go -pel and l)e i nst niniciital in setting idle 



SCI.NKS OF F.MiLlKK DAYS. 14.") 

IkukIs t(i work and strcii^'tlicnin^- those who aro ali'cady 
trying' ti> aclvant-e the Master's kingdom." 

Let us then begin tlie work by going ovei liist to tlie 
south si(h' of the Stanishius river with a brotlier to as 
sist in the jireaching. The place was known as the 
Fagan school hou><'. Then the couiitrv was but sj)ai'se]_v 
settled and tlie iniiabitants est<'enied it a great privilege 
to come together for worship and for a social time. But 
even in such communities as this sometimes diflterenees 
arise and thev m ed the gracious outpouiing- of the Holy 
Spirit to set them right again. A minister had been 
preaching there for a feu months, when, by some means, 
one of the elders became offended and he and the minis- 
ter were having trouble, and as each one had his friends 
it caused a division in the neighboi'liood. When we ar- 
rived we heard of the difficulty and resolved as the first 
effort of the meeting to see if it could not be settled, 
knowing that no religious effort could jirosper while 
the maiii members and leaders were having- trouble. A 
meeting- of the two contending parties and an elder was 
called and after prayer each one was called on for a 
statement. When this was given it was soon found that 
the trouble was not of a very serious nature, at least not 
so seiious but what the parties could be reconciled if 
thev' would show the true forgiving spirit of Christians. 
It was something of a struggle, for human nature does 
not like to yield and it is only the divine within us that 
causes us to forgive our brother his trespasses. At last 
love conquered and tears flowed as the}- gave each other 
the right hand of fellowship. AVhen we met in the pub- 
lic congregation that night the actions of these tw-o 



146 SCENES OF hAKLIEH DAYS. 



bretherii showed plainly they had been reconciled for 
they entered into the services of the hour with a hearty 
good will. Not only the people of (.iod but men of the 
world said, "After all there is something in the church 
which we have not experienced or then troubles could 
not be settled as readily as that had been." If the church 
wants a revival of religion the tir>-t thing to be done is to 
get trouble out of the way if there is any. Settlement 
of difficulties is a good revival of itself. We are tirst to 
be reconciled to our brother and then offer the ;^ift and 
the Lord will hear. 

The sermon on Sabbath was on the sixth of Romans, 
"Therefore being buried with Christ by baptism into 
death; that like as Christ was raised from the dead by 
the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in 
newness of life." The main theme was the. new birth or 
being born again showing that in regeneration we are 
buried with Christ and as he became invisible to his old 
character after the work of regeneration by the Holy 
Spirit. As Christ had new life when he arose, so the 
believer arises to a new life in Christ. He is dead to his 
old character of sin but lives by the power of him who 
raised Christ from the dead. The effort was to show- 
that this chapter did not refer to any outward ordinance, 
such as water baptism, but to the baptism which is pure- 
ly spiritual. That no outward forms could by any 
possibility save us, that the Holy Spirit alone renews the 
soul and prepares us for heaven. This plain and pointed 
preaching told on those who heard any many through 
that holy Sabbath day resolved to lead a better life. 

There was an appointment for Monchiy with the re- 



SriCNES OV KAHLIKK DAYS. 147 

quest that seekers of religion be present with all others 
\vho desired to come. There were quite a uuinber wlio 
attended and after the reading- of the scripture and 
prayer those who wished sj)ecial instructions in the way 
of salvation were recjuested to occupy a certain seat. 
Thei-e was no need of !i second invitation for every non- 
professor in the room came forward for prayers and in- 
struction. Among the nunil)er who came forward was 
a young man or rather one middle-aged who said, "I 
hiive been a seeker of religion the past twenty years and 
1 have never found the Savior yet." 

The instructions given were of the jjlainest kijul so 
that all could understand it. It was soon veiy evident 
that the man of whom I speak, his name was Moore, 
was very near the kingdom and would soon enter, re- 
ceiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit. As we passed 
on, giving instructions to others, he rose to his feet and 
said, "I want to make a confession I never made in my 
life. God for (/hrist's sake has pardoned my sins." This 
new born soul, like all who are born again, desired the 
salvation of others and he was soon found telling others 
how to be saved and it was only a short time until all 
who came forward for prayers were rejoicirxg with our 
friend in God's pardoning love. It was a glad hour for 
all who were present and all who could sing were sing- 
ing, "I have just received the bounty with glory in my 
soul;" "Heaven came down our souls to greet and glory 
crowned the mercy seat." Happy company much like 
heaven itself. 

Mr. Moore, who first found Christ that day, was in 
rather poor health and not long after this he began to 



148 SCEMKS OF KAKLIKH lUVS. 



decline very rapidh'. It \vas uat more than a year after 
this that it was plainly to be seen his mind was aifectecT 
and it was not long until he was entirely deianged and 
liad to be taken to the asylum at Stockton. He forgot 
the name of his parents, of his brothers and sisters and 
his old neigbors and even his own name he did not re- 
member, but to the very last hours of his life there was. 
one thing he did not forget and tljat was, "God had 
power on earth to forgive sins and that he loved his 
Saviour." He could tell when and where he was saved 
and could talk about the meeting on Monday in the 
school house. On this subject he seemed clear and 
rational but on all ot'ier things his mind was a blank. 
He could not name those wlio were present at the meet- 
ing but he knew he was there and that his sins were 
pardoned and ]o\' and gladness tilled his soul. He died 
a very triumphant death praising God as long as he had 
strength. 

After this meeting I went over to Merced and held a 
meeting in Merced City and in a school house several 
miles below town. The elder here told me that ministers 
had been preaching there that men could "get rehgion," 
as the}' termed it, and then lose it again as often as they 
saw proper. He asked me to present the real Bible view 
on that subject and 1 promised to do so. I used as a 
te.Kt "Heb. (5-19. Whi(rh hope we save as an anchor of 
the soul both sure and steadfast, and which eutereth in- 
to that within the vail; whether the forrunner is for us 
entered even Jesus." 1 never intimated but what all the 
world believed when (iod saved and regenerated a soul 
hat it was a work that lasted forever. That the anchor 



SCKNKS OF KAIU.IHK 1>\YS 140 

M'oiild hold ;uiii(l tlie worst storms be(;aiise it was sure 
and steadfast and fastened ill Clirist the forrunner wlio 
was witliin the vial. I arLfned that (lod was snch a per- 
fect workman that he did not need and had no occasion 
to repeat himself; that when lie made the world he did 
not have to make it over on account of the work bciiiL;- 
dertcient. F:5ein<^' born aij^ain was a purely spiritual work 
M-rout;ht by the Holy Spii-it in the heart and as it was 
God's work it did not and woukl not have to be done 
over. I presented (rod's promises that it would never 
leave nor forsake us and before I had closed the sermon 
a o-ood Methodist sister rose to her feet, shouting, telling 
the neighbors they had "heard (lod's truth and that it 
must and would do good." 

While on the IMerced river I formed the acquaintance 
of an old pioneer and he told me about some of the early 
<h\vs in that portion of the state. He said the time was 
when it was almost impossible to keep hogs, cattle or 
horses. . There were a great many greasers, a mixture of 
Spanish and Indian, and the larger nnmber of them 
wouhi steal whenever they could. He said, "The citi- 
zens, what few they were, had to organize for self pro- 
tection or then leave the country." Whenever they found 
one of these greasers had stolen stock in his possession 
they either shot him down in his tracks or left him 
swinging to the limb of a tree as a warning to others. 
He said he chased and shot them down with just as 
little compunctions of conscience as he ever did a prarie 
wolf or a sheep-killing dog. It may be thought this was 
extremely rough treatment and so it was, but it became 
necessary' in order to save life and property It is nat 



l'')0 SCENES OF EAHLIER DAYS, 



iiral for a man to tlefend his rights and protect himself 
and family from harm when in his power. It was the 
only way to keep property and open up the country to 
a desirable class of citizens. A greaser who behaved 
himsell as he ought was safe from these vigilance com 
mittees but woe be to him if he was found with stolen 
property in his possession. There have been times in 
California when the people had to take the law in their 
own hands and administer justice and when it had been 
done good results frequently followed. It is, however. 
a bad state of society when such measures have to be 
resorted to but when it is done scoundrels dread it more 
than they do the courts and juries. There ought to be a 
high regard and a deep respect for the courts, but if they 
do wrong and clear one criminal after another who 
ought to be in state's prison or hung for his crimes or 
then delay the hanging year after year then the patience 
of the people become exhausted and they look out for 
their own interests. With a great many of the rougher 
element from almost every nation under heaven it is a 
great wonder that the people of this state have not much 
oftener taken the law into their own hands, but we are 
glad that the society of this state is as good as it is and I 
can see improvement niore or less every year. 

Human life is more sacred than it used to be and so 
are the rights of property. Drinking is not as respect- 
able as it used to be but there is still abundant evidence 
that man is a sinner and that his nature must be changed 
before he is })repared to dwell where there is no sin to be 
found. Advancing in morals is very slow work but as 
long as it keeps moving along encouragment should be 
given. 



SCENES or EARLIER DAYS. 151 

CHAPTER XX VIII. 

1 WHS living once on a public road leading into the 
city of Santa Rosa. The road at that time had never 
been worked to good advantage and in the winter time 
it was in a Aery bad condition, especially after a rain 
storm. Extending from where we lived towards town 
for at least a few hundred yards had never been graveled 
and there were some low places in it. Tliese low jjlaces 
were sometimes a foot in depth and very miry on ac- 
count of constant travel, and w^agons fre(]uently stuck 
fast and had to be helped out. One morning a wagon 
loaded with fish came along just as we were going out 
to the barn to milk and the driver was swearing terribly 
at his horses so as to help them pull the wagon through 
the mud. 1 said to my companion, "That man ought to 
stick fast iu the mud for using such ugly language as 
that." The words were not much more than out of my 
mouth when sure enough the Avagon was fast in the mud 
and his team could not pull it out. 

Just as we finished milking he came for help. I told 
him I would assist him on one condition. "Well," said 
he, "name it quick, for I ought to be in town selling my 
fish." 

I told him the condition was that he was never to 
swear in passing my place and not to swear a single oath 
while I helped him out of the mud hole. 

"Come on," said he, "it is all right 1 will do that 
much." 

When we came to his wagon we took all the fish out 
for they were iu baskets and carried them across the 
mud hole and then took some rails and raised the wheels. 



152 SCDNKS or KARLIEK UAVS. 

I took hold of the lines and commanded the horses to 
go, but no, they were stalled and discouraged and vei'v 
poor. Finally i told him he had better drive his own 
team as he was used to them. He took hold of the 
lines and urged them to go, but not a pound would they 
pull. He stood still for a few moments and seemed to 
be in a very serious study for he knew he was losing the 
early sale of his tish. Finally, with sorrow depicted in 
his countenance, while he looked at me ver^- intently 
and with a smile, said, "See, here, Mister, you have got 
to let me swear once or we will never get out of this 
mud hole." 

"No, sir," said I, "I shall not give you any such 
privilege. You know what you promised and if jou 
violate jour word it is at your own risk and not my 
fault." 

"Well," said he, "whether you (-onsent to it or not I 
must swear," and he uttered a tremendous oath, wlien 
the team took the wagon out with but little effort. After 
he was out of his difficulty and the fish were placed in 
the wagon again, he asked, "How much do I owe you, 
sir." 

I told hin) I never charged a man anything for help- 
ing him out of a difficulty like that. 

"You liave earned sometliing working in this mud and 
here are two rock cod for your breakfast." 

1 thanked him and he drove on to town and although 
he passed freciuently after this I never heard hirn swear 
anymore. He told me afterwards that morning's work 
made him tliink more about the sinfullness of swearing 
aiul the folly of using an oath at all than anything that 



SCENES OK EARLIEH DAYS. 1 S^J 

had ever liappeiieil to liiiii. He said his team pulled 
better without swearing than they ever did with it. Some 
men seem to think that others will not consider them as 
being in earnest unless they clinch it with an oath strong 
enough to make one shudder to hear it. If a man tells 
me of some incident with wliich he was familiar and 
then closes his story with an oath so as to fasten it tight, 
as he supposes, I begin at once to doubt whether he has 
told me the truth about it. Sojne men sa}', "1 swear 
and do not know it.'" If this is true you must have in- 
dulged in the habit for a long time. l!ad habits should 
cease immediately for they are neither good manners nor 
good sense. 

I was once traveling with a number of men on horse- 
back and among them was a man who was swearing 
terribly and every little while calling on God to damn 
his soul. Finally I said to him, "Why not stop swear- 
ing by your Creator and swear by your own father whom 
^•ou serve so faithfull}'." 

"Who is my father," said he. 

I told him the devil was and that he was employed bv 
him to do his dirt}- ugly work. God never taught 3'ou to 
swear. 

He said, il wonder how that would work," and then 
he commenced to use the name of the devil in the place 
of God, his maker. The sw^earing was so awkward that 
the entire company roared with laughter; but such was 
his habit he kept qn in the old style. I have heard some 
men swear when it did not seem so rough as it did with 
others. 

I remember a good-natured Irishman who came to my 



154 SCENES OF EARLIEK DAYS. 

house one day with potatoes for sale. At that time he 
only delivered one sack and promised the other before 
long. How often after that he passed to Santa Rosa with 
potatoes 1 do not know but one thing I do know, he 
failed to bring me a sack at all that year. The next 
season, after he had raised another crop, and I had al- 
most forgotten the transaction, 1 looked towards the 
front gate one day and suw a man advancing toward me 
with a sack on his back, when he called out, "Haj', there 
mister, did you think I was going to hell wid a sack of 
spuds on my back." 

I confess I had to laugli at the wit of Paddy for once, 
even if he was a little profane. Poor fellow, he dropped 
dead from his horse a few years ago and his faithful 
beast remained by him all night, and it and his dogs 
kept faithful watch over him. 

Now, I want to speak of another California incident in 
which I was badlj^ plagued by the quick wit of a woman. 
Almost forty years ago there lived in a California town 
an agent of the California Steam Navigation Company 
who was known to be very abusive and overbearing with 
many who had dealings with him. If things did not go 
to suit him he would swear terribly. Man}' people had 
often wished that .something would happen to him that 
would make him more humble and obliging to the pat- 
rons of the company. It is a singular fact that a little 
brief authority puffs some men up with pride to such an 
extent that they think common people are far beneath 
their notice. I have seen politicians who before election 
were all smiles and pleasantness, but when the contest 
was over and they were elected to some ofHce, even that of 



SCENES or EAHLIKK DAYS. 15') 

s(niir('or coiistublc, would foel so lar^^'c tli.it tliey seeiuod 
to think it Wiis a yreat condesension to spe dc to iuoti of 
moderate means who had cast their ballots for them, 
such should never lu^ld any offiite whatever 1 could 
t^ive instances where men were elected and it caused 
them to swell *'to utter bursting" ni<^h'" to such an extent 
that they were loathed b}' their best friends. How often 
we heir the remark made of s ich men, ''What a pity tis 
for a young man of tine ])romise to rin'n himself witli his 
<lis<>uistin,u' bigotry. 1 voted for him but 1 will never do 
it again. 

The agent of whom 1 speak seemed to be one of the 
men who thought he must have a large share of bighead 
just because he was the employe of a rich corporation. 
Jf he was a shareholder in the concern 1 never heard of 
it and even if he was that did not authorize him to act 
ugly with those who had business to transact with 
him. 

One day a hardy miner came down from the moun- 
tains where he had been mining and had some business 
at the oflrtce, when the agent, as usual, conjmeuced his 
abuse. The )niner looked on him with mild but earnest 
eyes for a time and then told him lirndy that whei'e he 
lived and where he had been raised such language was 
not allowed. That it was not the remarks of a gentlenian 
and he must quit it. 

The agent replied very sharj)ly, "That he was in tlie 
habit of doing as he pleased without the advice of any 
one." 

The hardy miner warned him not to rej^eat his insults 
and that if he did he would give him a thrashing such 



15() SCKNES OF KAKLIER DAYS. 

as he would vemeuiber many days. He soon repeated 
his insults, when the miner did as he said he woidd, 
punishing the fellow so severely that it was ditKcult for 
him to attend to his duties as agent for several days. 
The authorities of the town were so glad of it that the 
man was not arrested, nor a line imposed, l)ut said they 
hoped it would be a lesson to the agent as long as he 
lived. It was said that it wrouglit sueii a change with 
the agent that afterwards he was gentlemanly ami polite 
to all who had dealings with him. 

Not long after this 1 was at the house of a friend in 
company with a number of men who had called, when 
the conversation turned toward the navigation company 
and how they were displeasing the public and if they 
kept on the residt would be the organization of another 
company. 1 remarked that at our town we had one of 
their agents who was abusive and insulting and that a 
miner came down from the niountains the other day and 
thrashed him severely and 1 thought if he had another 
such drubV)ing he might become a better man and k^arn 
to treat people as he ought. The lady of the house, who 
Avas and elderly woman and very shrewd and witty, had 
nothing to say on the subject until I closed my remarks 
in reference to the agent, when she raised her hand and 
pointing her linger at me said, "Go home, sir, and 
thrash him. The Lord made you and called you to do 
all the good you could and if you can do good by thrash- 
ing him, you certainly ought to do it. Go home, sir, and 
do you duty." 

All present roared with laughter at my expense and I 
acknowledged I was badly beaten by one woman at least. 



SCENES t)F EARLIER DA VS. 1 0? 

Kverybotly who kiicw tliis woinaii loved to be in lier 
company. She always had a cheerful word for all about 
her and was re<>arded always as an excellent christian. 
She dearly loved (ihildren and they were always pleased 
when they could be in her company. 

I was superintendent of the Home Mission work in 
the Pacific s3'nod for two years and during- that time 
there was more than 200 accessions to the church at the 
various meetings, I attended in company with other 
ministers. Durin<>' the same period I secured over 
$4000 for the salaries of other brethern. In the month of 
May, 1870, I decided, for reasons entirely satisfactory 
to my own mind, to join the Benicia presbytery of the 
Presbyterian church. It is not necessary to state these 
reasons here but will only say that 1 have never regretted 
the choice 1 made. The first year I was with them I ac- 
cepted of the colporture work, selling the books of the 
board of publication. Rev. S. T. Wells had charge of 
the board's publications for several years and it was at 
his retpiest 1 went to work. My first trip was up the 
coast as far as Mendocino City and through the moun- 
tains to Little Lake valley and down past Ukiah, Clover- 
dale and Healdsburg. There was preaching held at 
various places and some localities I found entirely desti- 
tute and very desirous to have services. One place I re- 
member they offered, if Presbyterians would send them 
a minister, to give him $G00 a year at that point and 
there w-ere other places in reach where very near as much 
more could be secured. It was onl}' a few years after 
this until the sawmill at the main point ceased to oper- 
ate and business became very dull and now it looks like 



158 SCENKS OF KARLIKH DAiS. 

an old deserted miner's town. i)i making- that journey 
I came to Point Arena one day about noon and decideiT 
to dine at tlie liotel. When I stepped into the barroom 
a man (I can hardly call him a {gentleman) said, "Come 
up, stranger, and let us have a dram together." 

"No, sir, I never went to a public bar in my life yet 
and had a horn and 1 do not propose to start in 
now." 

"Sir, how long have you been in California," he 
asked. 

When I told him he immediately said "30U are a liar; 
no man ever lived in California that long without going 
to a bar for a drink." 

I told him it did not matter whether he believed me or 
not, that 1 had told him the truth. 

"No sir, you are a liar I tell you for I know the people 
of this state too well to believe anything of the kind. 
Come, now, my good fellow let us have a horn together." 

I then told him and a number of others, the bartender 
in(duded, that all men would be better off financially and 
morally if they wovild let liciuor alone. This seemed to 
irritate him and he came near enough to shake his list 
under mv nose. 1 suppose he thought he would scare 
me as I was among strangers and he among his drink- 
in"' friends. I laughed at him and told him I met on 
this coast a man of his kind almost every day of my life 
iuid that 1 was not by any means alarmed when they 
made such ajjproaches as he did. A man standing by, 
and calling him by name, said, "Let that man alone, for 
he looks like a gentleman and I believe he has told you 
the truth. 



SCKNt^i or KARI,1KU DAYS 15') 

This (how his attention for the time from me and just 
then the dinner bell was ringing and I went to my meal 
and saw nothing more of him. No doubt he would have 
<lone better had he been sober. There are men who 
^Irink, who, when sober, are niee and gentlemanly and I 
have no doubt but this man was one of tliat kind. 

North ol Point Arena six miles 1 tarried several davs 
selling books and preaching in the school house at night. 
Little did 1 then think 1 woidd ever become a settled 
})astor in tliat region of country and remain there for 
years, preaching the gospel, visiting the sick, marrying 
the young people and burying the dead, but such proved 
to be the fact in after years. That matter, however, I 
will present in its appropriate place and speak further 
about the journey. During this trip a Southern Metho- 
<list minister was my traveling companion and after we 
left Mendocino City the large timber along our way 
greatly interested him. Once we come in sight of an 
enormous redwood tree growing in a little flat not far 
from olir road and he wanted to measure it. He went 
down and stepped around that tree and after making all 
allowances lie decided it was twenty-tive feet in diameter. 
He was amazed at its size and in fact I had never found 
one so large before although 1 had been in California 
some time. After measuring it we wanted to determine 
its height as near as we could. We concluded it was at 
least 200 feet to the lowest limb and at least 150 feet to 
the top branch from that limb, making the tree 350 feet. 
When 1 was in the states in 187.3 (this is what we call 
our old homes out here) I visited a sister who had sev- 
eral sons wdio were studying mathematics and 1 told 



KiO SCENES OF EARLIKR DATS. 

the?ii that I saw one tree in C/alifoinia that woukT 
fence in their entire farm of 82 ' acres and div de it off 
into forty acre lots and build thenj a g'ood house and 
bam. "Uncle," they exclaimed, "'if we did not know 
von to be a truthful man we could not possibly believe 
that story." 

"Well," said I, "you can have a test of it yHvino- the 
size and height of the tree. Now. saw off the butt cut 
and take one-eighth of it and see how many pickets it 
would make 1x4 inches, six feet long. 

They had only figured a little while when they ex- 
claimed, "It will fence two such pl.ices and build two 
houses and barns." 

There is a large church in Santa Ro>a built entirely 
from one tree and it a very small one compared to the 
one we saw. We have a perfect right to speak of large 
things in this state for they are realities. Even our taxes 
are enormously large with but little to show for the.ni. 
V\ e are a long ways ahead of most of the states for we 
even tax churches, making them pay whether they have 
an income sufficient or not. Afler we left the big tree 
we found we were not going to be able to reach Little 
Lake valley that ni-ht and that we were out in the 
mountains without a house to be seen or a blanket to 
shield us from the cold, for it was the month of October 
and (luite chilly, and no grass for our horses and not a 
match to strike lire with. We pressed on until after 
sundown when we came to the crossing of Big river and 
there we found about thirty people out on a picnic. 
They had been there several days and had caught a tine 
lot i)i trout and killed a nuinl)er of deer. They came 



SCENES OF EAKl.Itli DAYS. 1()1 

I'roiii !\fcu(l()ciii<) City and were well sujjplictl with pro- 
visions, 1 srltvted the luuii who I th(»ii;^ht was the 
leader and as 1 had soim; California brass in my face, at 
least more tlian my travflin,L>' companion, who had only 
been in the si.ite a few mouths, 1 walked up to him and 
reijuired, "Can we stay all nii^iit with you, for we are 
can^^ht heiv without food or blaidvets. We expected to 
make Little Lake but we caniKtt do it." 

"Certainly, ;L;entleinaii, just wall, in and make your- 
selves at home." 

The mam whom 1 appr'oached first said, "Ladies, stand 
hack, for 1 am going- to get these gentleman their supper; 
they have been traveling- all day without any thing- to 
eat and are very hungry." 

We unharnessed the tea n and he said, "there is jjh'iitv 
of hay; you will not find any grass near here so helj) 
yourselves." 

Soon it was announced that sui)per was ready and as 
good a one as any one need want. We had trout and 
vension for meat and we had ])ie and take, with tea in 
abundance. After the su]iper was over they arranged 
for the children a kind of sabbath school concert and 
theater mixed and had the exercises interspersed with 
some good music. Among- the singers my traveling- 
companion sang a solo to their great delight and amuse- 
ment. The wild woods echoed and reechoed with the 
evenin-'s entertainment and even the owds joined in the 
chorus, saying, "who, who, haw at iis." It had been 
a green spot to me in life's pilgrimage ever since. It was 
truly a night of real ricli enjoyment. The next morning 
I thought that it would be nothing but right to pay 



1G2 afCENES ar earlier da vs. 

them for their trouble, but, no, they would not hear to 
it and we thanked them kindly and the leader siid, 
"gentlemen, if you ever pass this way again and find ns 
here you will l>e perfectly welcome to remain over night 
with us." 

"A friend in need is a friend indeed," so says the old 
adage and we found it so that night with all the good 
things they gave us, for it was not only plenty for our- 
selves and horses but also a good bed on which to rest 
1 have often wished 1 had a picture of that camp just as 
as it was that night in the wild woods of Mendo;rino 
county. 1 can still see that pleasant company and how 
the children enjoyed the evening as well as older people 
I can see the vension hanging to the trees and the nice 
trout in pans ready for the morning's meal. I can still 
see that merry company as they would occasionally burst 
out in laughter at the comical speech (jf some child and 
greet it with rousing cheers. I believe it is true "that a 
little fun now and then is relished by the best of men." 
No one wants to go with a long sad face al a ays as 
though the Lord had forgotten them and the last friend 
they had on earth was either dead or about to die. God 
never intended us to go all the time with long and sol- 
emn faces but he wants us to enjov' life in a sensible way 
and with it be joyful to him. There are times wlien sad- 
ness enters the heart and the design is that we niaj' be 
benefitted by it but we can be greatly benefitted by our 
times of joy and of rejoicing as well. 

The next place we came to of much importanc^e was 
little Lake valley, a valley out in the mount:iins sur- 
rounded with timber. Here we tarried for the Sabbath 



. KXl'l-KIKNCES OF WKSTEKN I. IKK. Kio 

and preacliccl for tliciu, tlic Ba])tists kiiuUv ^^ivin;^- iis 
the use of their ehurch. Thcv have now ((Uite a villag'e 
in the valley called Willits. In its early history this 
valley witni ssed some terrible tragedies, one in which 
six or seven men weie killed in one day, but these days 
are passed and the civilizing and refining influences of 
the gospel has come among the iidiabitants to rejnain 
and lift tlieiu up and to stay with them so they (;an and 
will apj)reciate life. 

After retnrning home I made another- journey to Cali- 
stoga, a town situated at the head of Napa valley in 
Napa county. Here they had no minister but were very 
anxioiis to have preaching. F also went to Tomales on 
the coast in Marin county and fonnd they had a good 
church building', but no one to preach in it. I resigned 
my work as colportnre and resolved to devote all my 
energies to the two places above named. It w-as not long 
until there was a church organized at C'alistoga and a 
subscription started for a church building. After a few 
month's work there I gave that point up to the brother 
occu])ying St. Helena as Tomales had decided that I 
must ])reacli there every Sabl)ath There was no ehurch 
organized, neither a Sabbath school and when the trus- 
tees were about to make arrangements lor permanent 
work they told me th.';re was a debt of $2500 on the 
building. Thev' had built one house and it had burned 
down and in building the second one the}' were involved 
in the amount named above. They said they wanted 
me to know how things were and then I would know 
better what to do and how to manage. These trustees, 
without any exception, were not members of the church 



Ki-t i,xpkkii:nc;;s of western lifk. 

but good business men to uoik witli. 1 tolil tlieiii 1 was 
very hard to discomuj^t! when 1 entered on a work with 
a full and clear understandin<^-. "Now," said 1, ''will 
you take hold and work with nie until that debt is paid. " 
They said they would. The house had never been dedi- 
cated. 1 wrote to Mr. liemphill, now Dr. Hemphill, to 
come up and preach the sermon, which he did, and after 
the sermon there was more than $1000 secured by sub- 
scriptions and cash. Then the church erection board 
gave $()()0 and tlie trustees managed the remainder so 
that it was soon announed that the church was out of 
debt. I should have said that before this we organized 
a church, with I think, tifteen mend^ers and also a Sab- 
bath school had been organized and was doing good 
work. There was no parsonage and all said, "let us 
budd one and then our work will be nioie pei inunent, as 
our minister will then live with us." 

The ladies held a fair and festival and cleared $1100 
and I got all the hauling necessary promised, together 
with a good reduction on the price of lumber, it was 
not long until the parsonage was completed and the par- 
son and his family in it. 

At the spring meeting of presbytery in lH7;j I was ap- 
pointed as commissioner to the general assembly, which 
met in Baltimore. 

After 1 decided to preach every Sabbath at Tomales 
and finding there was so many of them engaged in dairy- 
ing they concluded that an evening appointment would 
not suit them and that 1 could be free to go where 1 
pleased. I established an afternoon appointment at 
Bloomfield, seven miles away, and kept it up while I 



EXPEKIHNCES OF WESTERN LIFE. lCi5 

coTitiuueil to [)reiich at To.nalcs. It waH neveriuy privi- 
lege to preach to a more wliole-soiiled people than I 
foiiml at Toiuales. Tbey were willing to pay a good 
salary, and were regular in their attendance at church 
whether they were members or not. During my stay of 
three years among them 1 think there wei'e about twenty- 
live additions to the clinrch and the (h>bt paid and a par- 
sonage built. 

1 went to Bloomtield after leaving Tomales. There 
was a fine church budding, which was erected mainly 
by a Mr. Henry Hall (who was not a member of the 
chnrch at the time) but was not finished inside A.11 of 
the members wdio lived there were then connected with 
the Big Valley church at Valley Ford, four miles away, 
but has since been organized into a seperate church. It 
was not long until the church w^as finished and all 
seemed to rejoice in it. A short time after we moved to 
Bloomfield, a Catholic friend of mine said to me, "1 
want to ask you a ques^tion and I would like to have it 
answered." 

' Yes," 1 said, "1 will answer it with the greatest of 
pleasure, if 1 can." 

He then said, "When you lived and preached at To- 
males the people all kept sober on the Sabbath and were 
very orderly, but when we (that is the Catholics) had 
services, they were drinking and sometimes we had 
tights and occasionally a horse race. We never had the 
good order 3'ou did. Now, I want to know why there 
was that diiference in the order of the two days." 

"I suppose you want me to give you an honest an- 
swer." 



1()() F.XPEKll NCKS OF WKS^TERN LIFE. 

"Certainly, 1 do." 

"I know of no other reason than tliis, that on r religion 
and the morals we advocate are better than yours." 

Said he, "1 will be e(inally honest and will say that I 
l)elieve 3'on have told the truth. Many a Sunday have 1 
watched your people and seen their good deportment 
and know that it far surpassed ours." 

For five years and a half while 1 preached at Bloom- 
field 1 also preached every two weeks at the Dunham 
school house or Stony Point. While living at Bloom- 
tield there was a series of meeting held, not by evangel- 
ists, but the local pastors and one Sunday we received 
twenty-six into the church. Had it not been for the 
many removals there would have been a strong church 
there numerically but they have gone to various portions 
of the state until now there are but few left to support 
it. It was ditHcidt then to manage finances and now it 
is nnich inore difficult, liaviiig all been caused by deaths 
and removals, but the field, with all these drawbacks, is 
still occupied and it is fondly hoped the efi'orts will yet 
be crowned with success. 1 think during my stay of 
seven years (that is preaching there seven years) there 
were about forty accessions to tlie church. 

The spring of 187i) a small church, which had l)een 
previously organized at Point Aremi, requested me to 
visit them with the object in view of a permanent pastor- 
ate. I went and held a meeting for them and as matters 
were arranged satisfactory I decided to move there. 
There were difftcidties to overcome that 1 had never en- 
countered before. Ilie jiiinister who preceeded me had 
not acted as a minister of the gospel should and this, 



KXPEUIKNCES OK WESTEKN LIl'E. 167 

too'otlier witli the ilriiikiiiL;' hubitof the people, made it 
a hanl field but 1 resolved to try it in the strength of 
him who said, "I will never leave nor forsake thee." 
The field was about thirty miles long- reaching up and 
down the coast, up as far as I'.ridgeport and down as far 
as Gualala. I found it very hard work traveling on the 
coast for sometimes the wind blew so hard that it would 
send the gravel fl^'ing into my face until it would sting 
with pain. In order to supply the field 1 had to preach 
fre(iuentl\' three times on Sunday and travel thirty 
miles. The church had no house of worship in all the 
field. They did own a parsonage but it was in an un- 
finished condition. There were foundations to be laid 
and houses both S2)iritual and temporal to be erected 
and it w'as expected that the parson would at least lead 
the way in the temporalities of the church as well as in 
its spiritual aff'airs. I commenced preaching in Point 
Arena, May 1st, 1871), and was installed as pastor in 
June of the same year. Services were held in a small 
room in town, too small to accomodate those who wished 
to attend, and it was not long until we purchased the 
lower story of the Masonic hall and it was fitted up for 
church purposes and is still in use. I found the people 
in my new field of labor ready and willing to respond to 
the calls made upon them for mone}^ to carry on church 
work. At Manchester the Methodists had a house of 
worship as well as at Point Arena but the Presbyterians 
had always occupied the school house, why I did not 
know. When 1 commenced work there the Methodists 
wanted me to occui:)y the church and the Presbyterians 
the school house and both parties came to me about the 



108 KXPEKIKNCES OF WKSTKHN Ul-K. 

matter and 1 tnld them I liad iiotliiiiL;- to say about it, 
that 1 (lid not come there to enter into a (Hiarrel tlie lirst 
thinj"-, that i was employed by the Presbyterians to 
})reaeh to them and if they said the i)reacliin^- should be 
in the school house or under !i pine tree that was the 
place where 1 was going. They voted nnanimously for 
the s(;hool house an^l as lon,i>- as 1 preached for them 
services were held there. Since I left them they have 
l)uilt a neat church and seem to be (piite prosperous. At 
Bridgeport services have always beoi held in a school 
house. At (irnalala we commenced iu a hall that was 
used for politicial purposes and dancing, good templars, 
etc. It was not long until there was a small neat church 
erected throngh the influence of Mr. and Mrs. Hay ward, 
tliey paying for the most of it. IMr. H. was one of the 
principal owners of the mill and saw the good influence 
churches had on the men in his emi)loy. 

The time had been when at the mills and logging 
camps hundred of men had been employed but all the 
mills of that portion of the country e.vtending from 
(Inalala to Bridgeport are now closed, save the one at 
(iualala. This one still seems to be prosperous and 
there is still an immense body of redwood and pine up 
the river that can be floated down. 

The greatest draw back to cliuich work in that field 
I found to be the rum power. .ATeii were bold and im- 
pudent and some of them n)ade fortunes selling whiskey. 
Sunday was the great drinking ;ind gand)ling day of the 
week and in some places they would get to much of old 
"tanglefoot" in tliem as to get mad and they would re- 
turn home with )nany a bruise disfiguring their faces. I 



KXI'KUIHNCKS OF WliS'l'KKN MFi:. ]()!• 

<1() not want by aiiv iiicaiis to leave the impiession that 
all the people liviiii;' alouj;' tlie coa.st were in the hal)it of 
diinkiii^' and j^anil'lin;^-, for there were those who did 
nc^t drink at all and then there were families who feared 
(tod and walked npiiyhtly in the midst of their evil snr- 
fonndinL;s and these were the ones who hi'lj)ed the 
country and Itnilt it up in morals. But under such in- 
fluences it I'ecpiired the couraj^e of a grizzly Ix'ar and 
2)lenty of divine i^race to stand up and say, "I am foi' 
(iod and the ^ood of my country." Kwii some ministers 
who had ^'one among' the n j^ave way in an evil hour and 
drifted with the multitude, and at least one rilled a 
drunkard's grave. Now things have changed to a certain 
extent and there is not as nuich drinking and gambling 
as formeily and the people wdl compare favorahlv m 
morals with some older settled portions of our state. It 
is true there are not as many men there as formerly but 
those wlio are still there are incdined to that which is 
light, with a much tinner g'ri|) than they were a num- 
ber of years ago. 

I remember that not a great while after 1 moved there 
I was going- into town one day from my study and had 
to pass a saloon. In front of that saloon a number of 
njen were standing who liad been drinking'. Just as I 
got opposite to them one of tliem said, "Boys, here is 
the Parson, lets make him drink." 

1 looked up at him and said, "Sir, you will have a 
sorry old time before you get through with that job." 

"Boys, I tell you we had better let him alone for 
their is tire in his eyes," said the speaker. 

With one single exce})tion I was treated kindly by 



17(1 EXPERIENCES OF WKSTEHN LIFE. 

those who sold and those who drank. There was oiu-e 
that two men gainhh'd a (hiy and two nights and the 
second morning they got mad and one of them shot the 
other, it was thought at the time fatally, as the ball en- 
tered his body and could not be found. After lingering 
a long time and hovering between life and death he com- 
menced to improve and finally seemed to be quite well. 
The bartender, who waited on them with liquor and 
watched their gamblin- and saw the shooting, gave me 
all the particulars and i wrote them down and sent them 
to a Petaluma paper and they were published and given 
to the world. About six months after this the one who 
did the shooting was in Petaluma and one of his friends 
said to him, "Who is writing you up at the Point." 

He said, "No one that 1 knew of." 

The artic'le was given to him to read and when he re- 
turned home he made efforts to tind out the author of it. 
He had accused several men, but all denied having 
written it. One evening just before sundown 1 went to 
the saddle shop on an errand. 1 had not been there 
very long when the one who did the shoot ng came in 
and I saw at a glance that he was drinking. He came 
whei-e 1 was exclaiming, "Did you write it, did you 
write it." 

I told him 1 did not understand what he meant. 

"I mean, sir, that article in a Petahnua paper about 
me shooting a certain man." 

"Yes, sir," f^aid 1, "I believe 1 wrote an article of that 
kind." 

I had no thought of being struck by him, when all of 
a sudden he opened his hand ajid slapped me on the side 



KXPKKIKNCES (W W KSIKItN 1,1 KIC 171 

of luv face. The first thouylit that entered my mind was 
what would the Savior do under such circumstances, and 
1 said to myself, "He would not strike ba<;k and 1 will 
not either." At that the saddler bounded to his feet and 
said, "I di) Tiot allow any man to strike a minister in mv 
slu)p."' 

The lick he gave me only stunned me a little and made 
my head ache. When the saddler siid what he did 1 
told him to hold on and 1 would manage him, that all 
such men were cowards and 1 was not in the least 
alarmed. When 1 accused him of being a croward he 
commenced to feel for liis i)istol and 1 knew he always 
went armed. 1 said to him "Take your hand off' from 
that pistol or you will get hurt badly." 

There was a large .saddler's hammer close to me and 
had he attempted my life with his pistol 1 should have 
used it on him. When 1 told him to take his hand off' 
he did as 1 told him and 1 was glad of it for 1 had no 
desire to do him bodily harni. 1 then commenced and 
told him that he had with his saloon business and 
gambling ruined more young men along this coast than 
any other man who «-ver lived on it and that unless he 
changed his ways he was sure of a drunkard's hell and 
a drunkard's grave. Then again he began to feel for his 
pistol and 1 re2)eated my request that he take his hand 
off' from it or he would be hurt badly and that very 
quick. He took his hand away the second time and 1 
then told him, "You have been called the king along 
the coast and the bully just because you went armed and 
men knew it and they dreaded anj' trouble with you for 
fear they would be shot and killed or crippled for life, 








'ft,A^^*t>-^ 



Put delivering the potatoes. — see page 154. 



KXPKRIENCES OF WESTERN lAFK. 173 

but you have found one man, sir, who does not dread 
your presence nor care for tlie anus you at times have 
with yon." 

At this onset he commenced to feel for his pistol again 
and 1 said, "take your hand off, and now understand 1 
am not goiny to make another recpiest of the kind and if 
you ])ut that hand for the pistol aj^ain you will have to 
run the risk of Avhat follows. 

1 then told him, "3'our wife and daughters I respect 
and will do any good 1 can for either you or your family. 
That 1 always pitied a man who got into the habit of 
drinking until he had no courage to quit. That the only 
tiling or power in the universe which could save him 
was the Lord Jesus Christ; his grace and his alone could 
concpier and make a better man out of him." 

At that time 1 saw his chin begin to quiver and the 
tears to start and he held out his hand, saying, "Shan t 
we be good friends from this on." 

Said I, "Sir, I court no man's friendship, but if I can 
have it on high and honorable terms 1 am willing to ac- 
cept of it, but not otherwise." 

Said he, "1 promise I will never do you any harm as 
long as 1 live; 3'ou will be my friend." 

"Yes," I told him "1 will." 

\\ hen I returned home m}- wife asked what kejjt me 
so late. I told her what had transpired and for the first 
• and last time in her life she said, "Oh, let us move away 
from such an ungodly place." 

"No," said I, "not as long as 1 have strength to work. 
I am going to stand in the strength of the Lord and fight 
the devil in his own den." 



174 I.Xl'KKII.NC ;s (IF WESTERN LIFE. 

It piodiUH'dc^iiite an excitement ill town iuul one of 
my friends said he would have Ljiveii the Parson twerity 
dollar if he had just let in and have given him a good 
thrashing. Then he studied a moment and said, ''No, 
he did the best deed of his life not to touch him.' 

This man, although he was one of the main property 
owners of the town, did not live there long after that, 
for the men were all the time picking at him and saying, 
"well, you found one man, if he was a prea<!lier, who 
was not afraid of you and I tell you you had better be on 
the lookout for him.'" 

He moved up the coast sonie distance and afterwards 
in company with a friend 1 went up there on a mission- 
ary tour. While there 1 learned he was very sick at the 
hotel and that his recovery was very doubtful. I went 
over to see him. and, really, 1 do not know whether he 
was glad to see me or not 1 found him confined to his 
bed and when 1 took a sciit and commenced to talk with 
him he was not so sick but what he knew enough to put 
his arm between his even and my face and then either 
peep over or under his arm at me. Poor fellow. I have 
often thought of what men used to say about him, "That 
he would die yet with his boots on." He was thrown 
from his buggy and killed. 

There was in Point Arena a house of bad repute and 
the inmate was taken very sick and her doctor thought 
she was sure to die and he left her and went into the 
mountains. She became greatly alarmed and sent for 
another doctor who was a good christian man and he 
frankly told her he had but little hopes for her recovery 
and that if she wanted to talk with a minister she had 



KXPKRIENCES OF WEisTEHN LIFE. 175 

better send for one soon. "Oh," she said, "they would 
not eonie liore knowing the life 1 have led." 

The doctor said, "Yes, my Pastor and his wife will 
both come, I have no doubt of it." 

She sent for us and we went and she said, "As a 
minister 1 was afraid you would not come." 

I told her 1 regarded it the duty of a minister to go 
wherever he could do good and save the people. 

She then said, "1 want you to read some scripture and 
pray with me." 

"What will you have read," 1 inquired, "about the 
woman whom Christ did not condemn and asked her 
where her accusers were" she replied. 

I read that and other portions of the scripture that 1 
thought would suit her case such as "Come unto me 
all ye that labor, are heavy laden and 1 will give you 
rest." Finally 1 said, "Are you willing, here and now, 
to say 1 will quit my evil ways and trust the Lord Jesus 
Christ for the salvation of my soul and live for his glory 
while 1 live." 

With the very deepest emotion of soul, she said, "Yes, 
1 will," and her countenance indicated a great change 
and 1 bowed with her in prayer and from that time on 
she began to mand aiid when the other doctor returned 
he went to see her and she told him, "Dr. B. is going to 
care for my body and the Lord Jesus Christ has saved 
my soul and I shall have no further need of you." 

She recovered and married not long after her recovery 
and, as far as I ever heard, kept her promise. She told 
me she was raised in the midst of plenty and never had 
to work for a living. After her marriage she went with 



17(j KXPKKIENCKS OF WKSTKUN IJFE. 

her linsband to Coloriulo and there l)e deserted her and 
she was left without a doHar in the world. She had 
married contrary to her parents' wislies and was both 
ashamed and afraid to ask for hel]) when her husband 
left her. No doubt her jiarents would have given her a 
helping' hand had she asked for it, for they were mem- 
bers of the E})isc'opal church, and, she said, good christ- 
ian people. But shame and confusion of face was her 
lot and rather than say, "1 have done wrong and ask 
voiir forgiveness," she decided on a life ver}' different, 
but was tinally arrested in her downward career, and, 
let us hope, repented of it all. 

1 remained at and near Point Arena nine years and 
eight months, and while there 1 married sixty couple, 
baptised eighty-four, buried nine-three persons, received 
into the communion of the (-hurch, tifty-seven members. 
After preaching there so long it affected my throat and 
eves until 1 was compelled to cease my life's work and 
rest, at least for awhile. 1 was placed by act of presby- 
tery on the Honorably Retired List aJid since 1889 have 
not asked for a church to preach to for 1 have not l)een 
able. 1 have preached occasionally in some destitute 
places near home. 

While 1 lived at Point .\rena I went once to attend a 
meeting of presbytery at Vallejo and when 1 arrived in 
San Francisco 1 found that Rev. Mr. Hammond was 
holding a series of meetings there and as I had some 
time to spend before the presbytery met, and had never 
heard iiim, concluded to attend. It so happened that he 
was absent at the time and did not get to hear him 
until the next evening at Vallejo. However, there was 



EXI'EUIKNCKS OK WKSTKHN Ln''i:. 177 

a very -^ood scnnoti preached in kt'epiii<>' with revival ef- 
forts. After the conclusion of the serni,)n there was a 
•general intjniry meeting held in which a nninbei' of 
ministers and members eny;ajied. I think the iii()uirv 
meeting resulted in a .threat deal of good. It was con- 
ducted hv tho.se who knew what they were doing and as 
they went from one to another the interest seemed to in- 
crease. Finally one of the ministers who was at work, a 
Kev. Mr. Tables, came where 1 was seated and asked, 
"are you a christian?" 

1 told him I sometimes thought when 1 heard others 
talk that I might be and then again when I heard some 
others talk was not so sure al;out it. 1 told him I had a 
great desire to be religious and serve (iod. 

"You ought, sir, to have more than a j)assiiig desire 
to that efl^'ect, it ought to burn down into your soul with 
such power that you would know^ for yourself and not 
another that you have passed from death unto life. There 
ought to be such earnestness that you would cry out, 
'God be merciful to uie a sinner.' 'Lord saveor I perish."" 

"Yes," 1 asked, "is there not danger of becoming 
unduly excited and by that means make a mistake and 
that mistake result in veiy serious conseciuences." 

"There is no danger, as a general thmg, of one of 
mature years being mistaken. There is,'' said he, "no 
necessity for one to make a great noise about religion, 
for deep water always runs silent while the shallow 
makes a great noise. My friend," continued he, "it be- 
comes you to be deeply in earnest about this matter and 
not postpone it any longer or you may lose your soul 
and be eternally lost." 



ITS KXPERIENCKS OF WKSTEUN LIFE. 

"I want then to know, sir, iu a very plain, simple 
manner, how 1 am to hi saved, for is there not a very 
great mystery connected with th? thought of a sinful 
being approaching intiiiite purity and begging for par- 
don. Will not such a being spurn one from his pres- 
ence and send me to the world of woe? ' 

" No, (tocI tells us, ' He that cometh to me I will iu 
no wise cast out ; ' 'The prodigal son returned to his 
father's house although clad in rags.' " 

" Even if he should receive me, I would like to know 
how to come to him. Had I not better wait until I uiake 
myself more uneasy about my present condition or then 
wait for a convenient season? " 

•' You will never find a better time than now — and 
you are sufidciently uneasy about your condition. You 
can come to him now without a moment's delay. Now 
is the accepted time, behold, now is the day of salvation. 
Now God's people are ready to pray for you and assist 
you in coming to Christ. Jesus even now stands with 
out-stretched arms ready to receive you. This name is 
worthy with the Father and for His sake he will have 
mercy on you and save you." 

"Yes, but after I have believed, how am I to know 
I am saved, for I do not want any mistakes about it." 

"In the first place, He said the Holy Spirit will bear 
witness with your Spirit that you are a child of Ciod and 
have passed from death unto life." 

" Then if you have passed from death unto life you 
Avill love all who bear the image of the Saviour." 

"You can also tell by the desires you have. If any 
are made Christians and bear Christ's image they have a 



EXl'EKlKNl'KS OK W KSTKKN I.IFK. ITD 

great (.lesire that otlu'is Up saveil ami enjoy the rehj^ioii 
of Christ with them. Tlie re<»eiierate<l soul loii<^s to see 
(iotl's <;lory amoiiy men. " 

One other (juestioii, ".\m 1 to expect tliat I can live 
riglit at all time ami have so much help from tlu^ Holy 
Spirit that 1 will not sin atjainst Him if 1 become a child 
of (iotl. 

"The Scriptures tell us, ' No man liveth and sinneth 
not," but if any man sin we have an advocate with t\n' 
Father, even Jesus Christ, the righteous." 

'■ There is one point more 1 would like to understand. 
Is there any more safety for the soul aftei- it is really 
saved than before? When 1 invest money 1 want to 
know that it is safe, and certainly I would want to know 
whether 1 will be any more secure after than before in 
religious matters V " 

" Yes," he said, " It is God's work and His alone when 
a soul is saved and He declares, 'their sins and iniquities 
will 1 remember no more;' which hope we have as an 
anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast. ' My Grace 
shall be satiicient for thee." " 

" You seem to have some knowledge of the Scri])- 
tures." 

" I was reared in a pious family, where the Bible was 
read at family worship " 

"You seem to understand soniething, too, of the plan 
of salvation." 

" Yes, I have been in the habit of attending church 
and hearing that plan explained more or less." 

" Now, allow me to ask you your name ? " 

''It does not matter so much about niv name as it 



180 EXPEKItNCES OF W KSTtKX LIFE. 



does about being a child of (iod, and trying to get to 
heaven.'' 

" Yes, but please tell nie your name," 

He begged so hard that 1 finally told him. 

'• What ["while astonishment covered his face, ''not 
C. H, Crawrord, a Presbyterian minister." 

•^ Yes, sir, the same man." 

*' Well, I have nothing more to say to you at present, 
only this, 1 have been in the state a number of years 
and ever since 1 have been here 1 have heard of you as 
one of the pioneers who has led many souls toChrist""' 

CHAPTER XXIX. 

During a missionary tour, once, I learned where an 
old Illinois friend lived, and as 1 had not seen him for 
many years, 1 concluded to call on him. When 1 
arrived at his house and was cordially greeted by him 
and his family, he asked me, "will yon preach at our 
school house to-night, if I circulate an appointment? " 

I told him I would— that preaching was all I pre- 
tended to follow. 

" You will have some to preach too, to night, who de- 
clare themselves infidels." 

At the hour appointed there was a goodly number as- 
sembled for a small community. The subject for the 
evening was showing the advantages which Christianity 
had over all the systems of infidelity. W^hen i closed 
the discourse I asked all who believed that Cliristianity 
had advantage over infidelity', to rise to their feet. The 
entire congregation rose, except two young men. 1 



EXPERIENCES OF WESTKRN LIFE. 181 

then called on any present who beheved that any svsteni 
of infidelity was better than Christianity to manifest it 
by rising,' to their feet. AH remained seated and as silent 
as the grave. 

After the congregation was dismissed, one of tlie 
young nten, who did not vote for Christianity, came 
shaking his fist under my nose, and saying, "you, sir, 
are not a gentleman." 

" When you say that you make a very serious accusa- 
tion against a minister of gospel — for of all men he 
ought certainly to be a gentleman as well as a true 
Christian. What, sir, is the matter with you? I do not 
understand why you make such a charge as that." 

" You had no business to take such a vote as you did." 

" Oh, that is the trouble is it, you are an infidel, and 

ashamed to own it, and ashamed to vote for it in public. 

If you are ashamed of your principles you had better get 

awav from them, for fear they will be your ruin." 

''You are a stranger to me," said he, " but I must 
advise you to never take such a vote as that again, while 
you live for fear you might get a tremendous thrashing." 
'• 1 am not in the least afraid of that for that is bus- 
iness two can take a hand in. When I know 1 am in 
the right it always make me brave, so that 1 do not fear 
the face of man. But, now, my friend, seriously, would 
you not rather trust ( hristianity for safety, than any 
system of infidelity ? " 

His reply was, " I would not." A reply he would not 
have made had he not been mad. At that we parted, 
and 1 have never met him since that night. The friend 
whom I went to see was well acquainted with him and 



18*2 I.XPKIUKNCES OF WKSTKKN LIFE. 

he told ii>e that not lon<^- ;ifter this he made profession of 
relij^ion and had sent word to me thronyh him, "that 
lie would i>ive me $10 for every sermon I would eome 
and ])rea('h to him." 

I have found in my experience that it is sometimes an 
excellent plan to make some men mad and then when 
the ])assion wears ofl', they will see in their calm 
monjents how foolish they have been and turn to the 
only true source of help. This man was not the first 
one by any means whom I have seen leave meetin<^s 
mad and the result was they returned in deep penitence 
and sought forgiveness of the One who alone can forgive 
sins. 

I made another missionary trip, this time into the Siena 
Nevada mountains of which J will s])eak. About sun- 
down I found a village with a few hundred inhabitants in 
it — and the first one in all my western travels without a 
hotel. How this happened lean not tell, for somebody 
is almost snie to keep a ]ud)lic house even if it is a poor 
one. But let the house he ever so j)Oor, the price is 
always good, (that is good foi' the keeper's pocket.) I 
drove up to a store and iiKjuired for a stopping place. 
'J'he gentleman said, "their is none in town, but 1 can 
take care of your horse, and there is a boaiding and 
lodging house kept not far away and there you can 
get something to eat, but you will have to sleep on the 
floor and wrap yourself in the blankets, they will fur- 
nish as the best that can be done." 

After the horse was cared for 1 went into the store 
and to mv astonislnuent, found the owner was selling 
"tangle-foot" as well as dry goods and groceries. Dur- 
our conversation 1 asked him if they ever had any 
))reaching in the town. He told me he had lived there 
a "-ood many years, in fnci was one of the first to settle 
there and to his on'tain knowledge tlu-re had been only 
three sermons preached in the plai*e. "Do you preach'.''" 
he asked. 



EXPEKIKNCES OF WKSTKHN LIKE \H'^ 

"Yes, sir, that is uiy business." 

"Will you preach tonight if 1 get yo)i m congre- 
gation'?"' 

I told hini I would. 1 went to the boarding house for 
my meal and he started out notifying the people. Thev 
had a very large school house and at the aj^pointed 
hour it was full and all the windows had lockers on. I 
never preached to a more attentive audience anywher<'. 
I found something to eat and slept on the hard Hoor and 
the next morning tlie merchant who kept my horse told 
me that "at home in the state of Maine he always went 
with his mother and sister to church twice on Sundav 
and to Sabbath school and the^' had no idea how bad he 
was out here, a>ul for the world he did not want them to 
know he was selling whiskey.' 

He furnished all the lights for the school house and 
])aid all my lulls, with a promise given • of reformation 
but whether this took place 1 cannot tell. 



CHAPTELl XXX. 

When I was living and preaching at Point Arena in 
Mendocino county, California, there was one time when 
at the close of the conference year the Methodists found 
they were behind with what they had promised to gi\e 
their minister and that it was necessary to do something 
so as to meet their obligations. The matter was talked 
over among themselves and the decision was to hold a 
church social with ice cream and cake as an "accompani- 
ment" as musicians say. A wise man always jjrovides 
for the wants of both soul and body and these church 
socials properly conducted do the same thing. The 
basement of the church being quite large it })roved a 
good room for these socials, for as a rule there are more 
who will attend a social than a preaching appointment. 
The first of the week 1 saw Mr. Adams, the pastor of the 



1S4 EXPEKIENCKS OF WESTERN LIFE. 

rhurch, aiul he gave me a very eonlial and pressing in- 
vitation to be present, remarlnng at the same time, "von 
have a goofl deal of mischief and fnn about yon; I wisli 
you wonki open the exercises Thursday night with some 
of it." 

At the api)ointed time 1 went and found the room filled 
with an anxious, good-natured company. In arranging- 
the room they had placed a stand with some nice bou- 
fpiets on it and I was to stand behind it to make my re- 
marks. At the appointed time Mr. A. motioned to me 
and we took our places, when he said to them, "Mr. C. 
has been here so long he does not need any formal in- 
troduction for they all knew me and he hoped 1 would 
l>egin right away as the people were especially anxious, 
he knew, about the eating ])art of the social." 

When 1 begun I told them this was a strange world 
of strange things in which we lived. Pointing to the 
beautiful flowers before me 1 said, "look at those bou- 
(piets, they are of all colors and yet they have the same 
soil in which to grow, the same air and the same sun- 
shine, yet, strange to say, they are not all one color nor 
vet are they the same size. W hen we go forth to life's 
duties and walk or drive al ng the public highway we 
find at almost every step strange things. Look at the 
trees of the forest, how strange they are, some tower up 
towards the heavens while others are low and scrubby. 
Some are ver}' small while others are of immense size 
and yt't with all this no two leaves of the forest are pre- 
cisely alike. Strange they were not all made alike in 
their trunks and their leaves. Then there are the stars 
that are such strange things, some of them are large and 
others small, some shine a great deal more brilliantly 
than others. 'Twinkle, twinkle little star, how I won- 
der what you aie, up above tlie world so high like a dia- 
mond in the sky.' These brilliant orbs are all strange 
things to us. Then there is the sun, one of the most 
wonderful of strange objects on which our visions light. 



KXl'hUIENrKS OF W KSTEUN I.IKK. 1H5 

It lias been j^ivin^ oft' lioth lij^lit ami heat for thousands 
of years past and still seems to have an inexhaustil>le 
sii]ii)y left. It is a stranj^e ol ject, set in the heavens bv 
Omnipotent ])o\ver. 

After s})eakino- of all these strange things in nature 1 
then said, with as much emi)hasis as 1 was master of, 
"But of all the strange things in this world of strange 
things, the strangest thing is when a Methodist minister 
calls on a Presbyterian minister to do some solid beg- 
ging for him, when it is known in all communities 
where they work side by side that the Methodist can out- 
beg the Presbyterians two to one."' 

At this unexpected sally they stamped their feet and 
clapjjed their hands at a very lively rate and w hen they 
saw it made Mr. Adams blush they renewed it time and 
again. When I finished my remarks 1 took a seat by 
the side of Mr. A. and he shook his list at me very good- 
naturedly and said, loud enough for all to hear, "1 will 
pay you for that my good brother."' At this they renewed 
their cheering. 

The evening was a real social one and everybody 
seemed to enjov themselves. Mr. A. told me a few days 
after this that his social was a decided success and that 
what 1 said was the means of his getting at least twenty- 
five dollars which he would not have had had 1 not made 
that speech. I told hinj 1 was glad of it for I loved to 
be useful outside of my own church and home. 

It is very often the case that small country churches 
have a very hard struj^gle to keep out of debt and keep 
their finances well in hand. A church debt is to be 
dreaded a great deal more than jjrivate debts, in priv- 
ate debts as a rule there is but one person to worry about 
it but in church debts every true member feels that they 
are responsible for a just proportion of what is due. 
But of all connected with the church 1 think the pastor 
feels the burden of a debt more than any one else. I re- 
member when we purchased one-half of the Masonic 



18() KXPEKIi.NCKS OF WI^TEHN LIKK. 

building at Point Arena for a church that we became 
involved and it took quite an effort to pay it off. l"'inally 
tlie work was accomplished and 1 told them from the 
l)ulpit one Sunda}' that our debt was all paid and the 
church so far as tinances were concerned was free. A 
very shrewd, intelligent man of the word, who had made 
an excellent success of his own business affairs, said to 
me the next day, "you have l)ut little idea how much 
power their was in those few word.s you spoke yesterday 
about the church being free from debt, for church debts 
keep peoj)le from joining and becoming identihed with 
the chu I ch's interest. You may expect your church to 
prosper from this on.' 

If this was the prophecy of a man of the world it lias 
came as true as Balaam's jjrophecj' did, for from a mere 
handful of members then it has grown to number at the 
present tinje 1()5 The pros})ects are still good for a 
future growth and greater usefullness. 1 certainly will 
ever retain a kindly rememberance ot the people living 
along the coast from Gualala to B)idge]jort, for many 
years 1 shared their hospitality and have l)een with 
numbers of them in their times of soriow, when their 
dead were laid gently away to await the sound of the 
trump of God at the last day. 

1 love the state in which 1 live and for tlie last forty 
yeais have tried to advance its best interests by ojiposing 
the evil and advocating the good and I want still to see 
it rising as a mighty giant along the borders ol the great 
Pacific and standing as the beacon light amid the cluster 
of states which bedecks our western horizon. If any- 
thing 1 have said in this book shall help in these matters 
1 shall be satisfied. 



